Scenario:Gwynne - Family Talk
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Family Talk
While vacationing at Alohas, Gwynne and Isaac are taken to an herbal spring, which claims to have detoxifying properties. Isaac's face clouds when he hears the word "detoxification." Gwynne questions him about his sudden change in demeanor, and he eventually opens up about their biological parents.
Gwynne: Geez... This place is packed...
Gwynne finally gets around to using the tickets to Alohas she'd received as a gift from the crew.
Stepping into the lobby, Gwynne restlessly looks around at the crowd of guests.
Isaac: This is a fine establishment. Haha, coming here was a good idea.
Gwynne: How do you know? We haven't done anything yet.
Isaac: You got me there. Well then, let's go get changed and see what there is to do.
They head into separate locker rooms and soon come out in bathing wear provided by the resort.
Gwynne: This is a pretty snug fit... Does it look weird on me?
Isaac: I don't think so? You look the same as everyone else.
Gwynne: Good enough. Thanks.
After fidgeting a little more with her bathing suit, Gwynne unfolds a resort pamphlet.
Gwynne: This place is huge, assuming the map is to scale. Where do we even start?
Isaac: You weren't kidding. I'm totally lost, haha.
Resort Staff: Uh-oh! Did I hear the word "lost"? Good thing I'm here to show you around!
A lady sporting a resort uniform had noticed the look of consternation on the siblings' faces and came over to help. Gwynne explains their problem.
Resort Staff: You're in luck because I know all the hot spots!
The employee guides Gwynne and Isaac around the resort, pointing out popular attractions and services.
Resort Staff: Next is the herbal spring! It's a medicated bath that's only available for a limited time!
Gwynne: Wow... Just a whiff of the herbal scent clears my sinuses...
Isaac: This looks like a surefire cure for the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Resort Staff: Yep! Aromatherapy really helps to alleviate exhaustion, and it has detoxification benefits too!
Isaac: ...
Resort Staff: It's a mixed bath, so the both of you can use it at the same time!
Gwynne: Sounds like a good one to start with. What do you think, Isaac?
Isaac: S-sure.
Thank you for showing us around, miss.
Thank you for showing us around, miss.
Resort Staff: My pleasure! Don't hesitate to find me if you need more recommendations!
With a cheerful wave and a bright smile, the employee skips off.
Isaac: ...
Gwynne: ...?
Isaac's face looks calm as usual, but Gwynne senses that something's bothering him.
Gwynne: Phew... Haha... I could get used to this.
Gwynne inhales deeply and allows her arms to float freely amid the rainbow of flower petals and herbs drifting on the water's surface.
Isaac: Yes, this is quite relaxing. I can feel my soreness melting away.
Isaac: Detoxification, huh...
Gwynne: What's wrong? You've been acting strangely ever since we came to this spring.
Isaac: Is it that obvious?
Gwynne: Eh, maybe. The mood feels different somehow.
Isaac: I'm sorry. I was confident I could hide it from you.
Gwynne: It's fine. Really.
Gwynne: Not sure why, but I have a feeling that it's got something to do with thinking about me and our biological parents.
Isaac: ...
Gwynne: You can tell me about them while we're here. I promise it won't spoil the vacation.
Gwynne: Actually, you know what? I want you to talk about them here, considering this is our first family outing.
Gwynne: I mean, aside from the fact that our biological parents didn't come with us.
Gwynne: I want to know why they couldn't make it. I have the right to mourn with you, don't I?
Isaac: Wow... So you already figured that much out on your own.
Gwynne: I have my guesses as to what happened to them, so I'm ready. I can handle it.
Isaac: All right then. Can I have some time to get my thoughts in order?
Gwynne: Sure. I knew you'd need it.
Isaac: Kindhearted as always. I knew you'd be raised well in their care.
Gwynne: Yeah. I owe a lot to Mom and Dad.
The siblings continue to chitchat while soaking in the spring.
Finally, Isaac is ready to talk about their biological parents.
Family Talk: Scene 2
Gwynne and Isaac's biological parents lost their lives to the toxic nature of the materials they were researching in order to accomplish their mission of returning to the moon. The thought that her true parents only saw them as spare parts for continuing the mission devastates Gwynne. They're about to head back to their rooms when a resort employee suggests they relax inside a sauna room.
Isaac: There's no point in beating around the bush. Our biological parents have passed away.
Gwynne: Mm.
Isaac: For generations, many of our ancestors died at a young age, and our parents were no exception.
Gwynne: Okay.
Isaac: The cause stems from our mission to return to the moon. We toiled for centuries to construct a rocket.
Isaac: Finishing the rocket itself took less time than expected—obtaining fuel was the problem.
Isaac: They spent every waking hour researching fuel during their short lifespans. Every possible combination of chemicals was distilled and burned.
Isaac: Eventually, their research in the toxicity of the compounds had lethal effects on their bodies.
Isaac: I gave you up for adoption after our parents passed away. I... can't say they didn't suffer.
Isaac: I'm sure I would've ended up the same if I'd gone down that path. And there's no way I was going to let you endure the same fate.
Gwynne: What about your body? Are you all right?
Isaac: Yes, I'm fine. I discovered a better fuel source in dark essence, which, thankfully, I didn't have to experiment with.
Gwynne: Phew... That's a relief.
Isaac: Believe me, I'm glad too. Though to be honest, I wish I could've spent more time with you.
Gwynne: I see...
Gwynne: ...
Isaac: ...
Gwynne: It hits differently to actually hear that your parents are dead.
Gwynne: Had things been different—sniff—I'd probably be the one carrying on the research while looking after you as you were dying.
Isaac: Yeah... That was one possible scenario.
Gwynne: That's stupid. I'd die... You'd die... All for some mission?
Isaac: I can't refute that. There's more to it than—
Gwynne: Why? Look what it did to our family, if you can even call it that!
Isaac: That's our lineage.
Gwynne: It's messed up... It's like we're... It's like we're just spare parts.
Isaac: Our parents, and I guess even myself, truly did see it that way. I'm really sorry.
Gwynne: Stop saying sorry, damn it! Why do you keep apologizing for things that aren't your fault!
Isaac: The progress our family made, our history, our values, and even your opposition to all of those things... It's all important to me.
Isaac: If things had happened any differently, we might not be here together on this wonderful day.
Gwynne: ...
Isaac: Sometimes I'm not even aware I say sorry. It might just be a verbal tic, you know?
Gwynne: You do say it a lot, I'll give you that.
Isaac: Oh yeah? Guess I should try to reign it in.
Gwynne: Yeah. Wouldn't be a bad idea.
They soak in the spring for an inordinate amount of time.
Since they've stopped talking, they can hear the other guests having a grand time throughout the resort.
Gwynne: Sniff... Sigh... The aroma of these herbs is pure bliss.
Isaac: Mm-hm. It's a nice diversion from talking nonstop.
Gwynne: I like this spring. I'd like to come back again. You're coming too, right?
Isaac: Of course.
Gwynne: I'm going to hold you to that.
Gwynne: Let's dry off. I'm starting to get a little dizzy.
Isaac: We were talking for a long time. Why don't you take a nap?
Gwynne seems sapped of energy. Isaac has to help her out of the spring.
Gwynne: Hm? Is she waving us down?
Sure enough, the resort employee from before beckons them over.
Resort Staff: Um, do you need a breather? This sauna room is currently open.
Isaac: But the sign says it's being cleaned.
Resort Staff: Which makes it perfect for keeping other guests out. Give me a call if you want a drink!
The employee says nothing more and walks away.
It seems she deliberately hung up the sign and lowered the heat in the room.
Isaac: Well... Since she went through the trouble of getting us this room...
Gwynne: Yeah. Let's go in.
The siblings step into the comfortably warm sauna.
Family Talk: Scene 3
After everything Isaac has told her, Gwynne finds it hard to sort out her thoughts, but Isaac reassures her there's no need to rush. The two doze off, and in Gwynne's dream, she remembers the time Isaac entrusted her to her adoptive parents. When she wakes up, Isaac, still asleep, is doing his best to comfort her as he had when she was a crying baby, causing her to weep silent tears of happiness.
Gwynne: I bet she saw me bawling my eyes out. I forgot we're not the only ones here.
Isaac: Are you sure? No one else seemed to notice, and I doubt she had nothing better to do than watch us the entire time.
Gwynne: I hope you're right.
Gwynne: Ugh... I know I asked for the truth, but I can't get my head straight. I didn't think it would hurt this much.
Isaac: Haha, yes, it's a lot to take in. Actually breaking the news has gotten me pretty exhausted too.
Gwynne: Yeah. It's definitely taking a toll on me, but I have no regrets, so you'd better not apologize to me again.
Isaac: Don't worry. I've learned my lesson.
The siblings recline against the back wall, chatting about everything they can think of.
Gwynne: You said everything is important to you.
Isaac: That's just my personal opinion.
Gwynne: No, I get what you're saying. I've made conscious decisions before to endure difficult situations.
Gwynne: After all, I enlisted in the Society without knowing how hard the training would be just for the chance to see you.
Gwynne: And without that harsh training, I wouldn't have made it far enough to finally meet you again.
Gwynne: Everything happens for a reason, and we both had to go through our own trials. Is that what you were getting at?
Isaac: Yes. You hit the nail on the head.
Gwynne: Fate works in strange ways. Grace, Cassius, the moondwellers... All of us were connected.
Isaac: Yeah.
Gwynne: Can't forget about Lester either. My upperclassman in the Society.
Isaac: Never forget.
Gwynne: His death allowed me to move up the candidate list.
Isaac: Things can change on a whim.
Gwynne: Even to this day, I'm still not sure how I'm supposed to compartmentalize all these events.
Isaac: ...
Isaac: No one's saying you need to come to terms right off the bat. There's nothing wrong with taking your time to sort things out while you grieve.
Gwynne: I guess not.
Despite Isaac's encouragement, Gwynne still looks sad.
Her brother considers what else he can say.
Isaac: When you were born, our parents called it "a second miracle."
Isaac: Considering how obsessed they were with our ancestors' mission, I was certain they were happy to have given birth to a successor after me.
Gwynne: Mm-hm.
Isaac: But now I'm seeing things in a different light.
Isaac: That was the second and final time they uttered the word "miracle."
Isaac: The first time being when I was born. "It's a miracle our family line produced a son."
Isaac: You see, exposure to all those chemicals seemed to have encouraged more female births. This is backed up by examining family trees.
Gwynne: ...
Isaac: At the time, I thought they only valued me because I was a boy.
Isaac: But now that I think about it, the miracle they were referring to was my very life.
Gwynne: ...
Isaac: It wasn't that they saw us as only spare parts.
Isaac: They awaited the arrival of their own children with genuine excitement.
Gwynne: Interesting theory.
Isaac: I never thought the words I heard nearly fifteen years ago would have such a different meaning today.
Isaac: Someday, I think you'll have your own moment of clarity from the memories etched in your heart... Erm, I'm not sure if that makes sense?
Gwynne: No, you're fine. I think I understand. Thanks, Isaac.
Isaac: ...
The room turns silent.
A trickle of sound from outside the sauna reminds them of where they are.
The gap between their lives and other skydwellers hammers home what it means to possess dual backgrounds of sky and moon.
Gwynne: ...
Gwynne's eyelids grow increasingly heavy. Perhaps she soaked in the bath for too long, or the revelations she's heard are too much to process.
Gwynne: (Maybe things will become clearer in another fifteen years...)
Gwynne: (Conversely, I wonder what happened fifteen years ago...)
Finally the pull of sleep is too strong to fight any longer.
???: Are you kidding me, Isaac? Have you thought this through?
???: I'm really sorry about this. I have this issue... Er, call it a mission or fate.
???: I can't saddle Gwynne with that responsibility and have her end up like our parents.
???: ...
???: For you to bring up that and your parents, it must be serious.
???: We don't mind looking after Gwynne.
???: But you have to promise you'll come back and see her.
???: Of course. Once I get this matter settled, I... Um, I'll...
???: Pull yourself together, man. Say "I promise" with conviction.
???: Thank you. I promise.
???: Sorry to cut this short, but I have to go. Please take care of yourselves.
???: She's in good hands with us. Now let's get her to her new home.
???: Oh no! I-I've never heard her cry before...
???: Shh, it's okay, it's okay. Your new mom and dad are the best people in the world!
???: They'll shower you with warmth and compassion! Please grow up to be just like them!
Gwynne: Sniff... Sob...
Gwynne: ...!
Gwynne's eyes flutter open.
Startled awake by her own sudden sobs, she feels a rush of nostalgia.
Gwynne: I was always...
Isaac: It's okay, Gwynne... It's okay...
Isaac has also fallen asleep, mumbling from time to time.
Her head rests against his shoulder, while his hand rests on her head.
Gwynne: I remember this...
Isaac: Hush... Don't cry...
This is the warmth she'd always yearned for from a missing loved one.
Gwynne: Sniff... Sob...
And just like that day long ago, Gwynne cries in Isaac's arms.