Memories of the Sea I BTS X OC I

Chapter 14 - Stigma

The dinner passed slowly. Hae ate, watching Soul-Seeker Asume who sat opposite her, trying to gauge his character. He seemed friendly, helpful even, and not at all like the kind of person who fit in with someone like the Captain La Miala. His intense, dark eyes were brimming with life while he talked animatedly about some sort of outlandish theory that implied that naming animals actually lead to them becoming more intelligent, due to the fact that they could then access a different level of mental energy.

"When a name is given, or taken on, it doesn't matter as long it's used consistently until the animal, say, a dog, recognizes it as their own and remembers it, then it's category in the world algorithm naturally changes. Cho bases this premise on his case studies, but it remains to be seen if he can prove his claim."

"Excuse me", Hae interjected hastily when Arkan Asume took a bite of his food and stopped his lecture for a few seconds. "But what if a name can't be remembered?"

The man tilted his head in consideration, frowning. "I suppose it depends. If the dog can't remember its name, the fact that people will know it should be enough to fix it in the general memory stream. One, albeit strong connection, would be sufficient. A dog isn't a grand affair, all things considered. If even the owners don't remember, I suppose that a mere animal couldn't hold onto it for more than a few hours."

Asume hummed thoughtfully. Hae noticed that she wasn't the only one at the table that had stopped eating altogether. Yoongi was listening with rapt attention, his gaze fixed on the Soul-Seeker. The Captain had paused as well, her smile sharp and entertained. Hae wondered idly why, but before she could reach a conclusion, Arkan Asume continued to speak, and she focused on what the strange scientist had to say.

"Even humans don't hold out long without being remembered – they fade quickly. Naming generates a lot of energy, and if it can't be sustained, it will cease to exist, simple as that. The connection is only stable as long as it is maintained from both directions, named and namer, so to say. Everything else depends on the kind of energy one is willing to spend, and the tools one has at one's disposal to keep it. But experiments with the nature of names are rare these days – the subjects usually don't live long, and it's not the done thing. It's rather sad, we could learn so much..."

Asume met their gazes, his eyes glittering with intense focus. Then, he seemed to notice what he had just said, and the way he had stopped all small talk in favour of a rather theoretical discussion only he really participated in. He smiled at them ruefully.

"Terribly sorry, this isn't polite conversation, isn't it. I always forget where I am when I talk science. Please, let's change topics."

Hae had always known that names were something special, but she had, as far as she remembered, never met anyone who concerned themselves with the energies and mechanisms that made them that way. For most common folk, they were something sacred, something to be treasured, not investigated. Sure, Ahsa the fortune teller of Ma City worked with arcane energies, but there was no science behind her approach. And Hae felt sure that the woman would never dare to touch names.

They finished their dinner quietly, and the Captain played them another tune on her piano before she retired, leaving Hae, Yoongi and Asume to say their goodbyes alone.

"If you don't mind me asking another question", the girl said, lingering at the door, smiling up at Arkan Asume. She had one hand on Yoongi's arm, and felt him freeze at her words.

The Soul-Seeker brightened immediately, the golden buckles of his coat gleaming in the dim light. "Of course! What would you like to know?"

"I just wondered... What if someone remembered their name, but nothing else?", she asked, a bit breathless.