Chapter Text
Unexpectedness and change are the largest parts of Nya and Kai’s life. There is unexpectedness in what they will do each day. There is unexpectedness in what they are going to eat that day (or if they are even able to eat at all that day). And there is always change in what they will be studying at school.
One of the only things that remains the same is the seasons. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring, and repeat. Always in that order, year after year. But the seasons are just one part of their lives. That is the least important part. You should reconsider that statement, maybe mull it over a little more…
Just saying.
The siblings spend most of their weekdays apart. Some days Nya attends school while Kai works, other days it is the opposite.
It’s just the two of them, their parents haven’t been in their lives for a very long time. But life goes on.
Every once in a while both of them will have this shared instance, alike to some sort of hyperaware realization, like they are the only ones — the only people — that are in colour while the world around them is in black-and-white. Take the bait, damnit!
These instances don’t last for long, only a few seconds to a minute (the longest was roughly just two minutes long). Never long enough for them to remember much about what they really are or what they represent. It’s only barely long enough for them to even remember that it happens, even if the memory itself is hazy.
Like it’s some kind of old camera film.
Once the handful of seconds is finished, the sensation fades like some kind of daydream that feels unusually real. Only the daydream is shared between them, two separate people. It feels real because it is real. I assure you, it most certainly isn't a daydream.
They chalk it up to a twin thing and get back to their lives.
Nya attends school and Kai works, Kai attends school and Nya works. And the cycle repeats, over and over again, with the occasional hiccup making an appearance.
Until a repetitive pattern begins to take hold. There is a guy — a teenager about their own age — who the siblings keep catching sight of standing outside the high school as they leave.
In terms of clothes and general appearance, they don’t stand out from the rest of the after-school crowd. But it’s the aura , the invisible thing that pulls both of their attention away from whatever it was that they were doing to see the unknown blond.
The blond is always standing there at that same spot across the street from the school, beside the post-box. They is always facing the entrance of the school, watching as the students file out after the bell rings.
It would be creepy in a stalkerish way if both Kai and Nya didn’t get the feeling that they knew this person very well. That…feeling dissipates any trace of suspicion that they might hold towards them. You’re both finally getting somewhere!
Nya has just about finished ranting about the unknown almost-stalker person when Kai butts in.
“You’ve seen them too?” the elder twin asks.
“Yes?” Nya confirms, more than a little confused at the direction the conversation is being taken. It’s a good direction, don’t worry, Nya.
“I thought I was seeing things that weren’t there,” Kai explains (not really). “Have they been there every afternoon after-school?” he asks.
“Yes. Do you think they’re stalking us - tracking our movements or something?” she asks, looking up from her homework (chemistry, again ).
“It’s possible. If they’re there every afternoon that you get out and also when I get out,” Kai agrees.
Both have abandoned their homework in lieu of a more interesting conversation. One that they should have had well over a week ago by now.
“Kai, do you get the feeling that you know them? Not like you’ve seen their face before, from walking past them on the street; but intimately like they’re family?” Nya asks.
“You’ve felt like that too?” he doesn’t answer her question.
“Kai,” the younger twin intones.
“Yeah, I have,” he agrees. Before either of them can add anything, they are both abruptly thrown into a memory.
It’s hazy like they are watching a reel of old film. It’s exactly like those brief sort-of-not-really realizations, only longer Kai notes absently. You’re finally getting somewhere! You’re so close, just keep going…
They are together (luckily), in a kitchen that they don’t remember ever being in. Yes, you do!
They aren’t the only ones here, there’s a very familiar blond guy standing with his back to them a little ways off. They’ve got a knife in one hand and are chopping up what appears to be bell peppers.
Whatever has happened has allowed them to keep their sense of smell. Which is helpful as they can clearly smell the spicy aroma that’s wafting from the pot that bubbles on the stove.
Kai tries to get the blond’s attention but they don’t appear to hear him at all.
“It’s like a 3D recording, we’re in this kitchen but also just watching what happens,” Nya says.
The guy finishes chopping up the peppers and carries it over to put in the pot.
Who wears all white when cooking chilli?
The weirdly familiar blond guy calls for someone named ‘Lloyd’ and another blond, this one is a bit shorter and has on a more appropriate green hoodie.
The feeling that they know these two hits the siblings harder than it ever has before. Come on, come on!
This rather domestic-looking scene doesn’t involve them so why do they remember what comes next? Because you two weren’t as badly affected as Lloyd.
Nya and Kai begin to say what each of the two that they’re watching will do and happens, exactly as they say it will.
“He takes the bread that’s just been baked out to the table,” Nya starts. They watch as green hoodie does exactly as she has just predicted.
“They get out six rice bowls, only to remember that there are only five needed as — why can’t I remember the name of the missing sixth person?” Kai adds. Again, they watch as the scene unfolds before them.
“Tincan sends green hoodie to go get the others for dinner,” he says the next one, screwing up the pattern. You’re remembering more, Kai. That’s good.
“Tincan?” Nya asks, incredulously.
“What? You’ve got to have noticed that they have a metallic shine to their skin,” he says.
She…can’t deny that, no matter the odd emotions that hearing that nickname for the blond coming from Kai sounds. It sounds familiar. Because it is. Think, Nya, you can remember the answer to your question if you keep trying before time runs out.
They don’t notice that the scene — the memory — in front of them has frozen as they have veered off-topic.
It begins again once they get back to it, the momentary pause goes unnoticed. “Once green hoodie has left, they take the rice bowls out to the table,”
The siblings can’t even see the table that they are talking about from here in the kitchen but they just know that’s where the two have taken the food.
As the last person that this scene actually features leaves the kitchen, their vision starts going hazy, it starts fading out. No! It’s too soon! They don’t have all of the answers yet!
Kai and Nya are dumped rather abruptly back into the present. They’re once again seated at the kitchen bench (a different kitchen), homework spread out before them.
“We need to talk about whatever that just was,” Nya says, her tone dead serious.