Yeah.

[this is getting DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO WHAT HE DOESN'T WANT TO SAY. his embarrassment is already showing up in its classic form of frustration.]

[ . . . uh huh.

Baren just pauses at that.]

... You know, the less you give me to work with, the less I can use to poke at his memories.

HE DOESN'T NEED TO KNOW THAT!

[erk. shit. it's obvious now, isn't it?]

Picking and choosing what you think he needs to know? Now that's just mean, Z.

[yeah it's obvious]

He remembered what he did. What else matters?!

[sighs he's getting huffy now]

Why he was there?

[just a guess]

[fuck




he glances away. mumbles:]

Save some people.

[ . . . ok better]

Did you lose to giant crocodiles.

Like hell I did! I would have kicked that thing's ass myself if I wasn't locked up!

[-SHIT]

[and now he's on the couch

clutching his stomach as he cracks up]

Locked up by giant crocodiles! What kind of pirates...!!

IT WASN'T BY THEM!!! HOW THE HELL COULD A CROCODILE LOCK SOMEONE UP?!?!?!

Then how'd you get locked up, Z? Tell me I'm wrong!

How the hell should I know?! Not like I got a full movie about it!

Maybe if you scream about it enough you'll remember!

[WHAT LOGIC]

HOW THE HELL DOES THAT WORK?!

I dunno, jog the same memory enough times and get more context? Have you ever tried?

No. Have you?

Sure. It's about a fifty-fifty shot.

Wait. What memory were you trying so hard to get back? Thought you were one of the ones who wanted to leave that stuff behind.

[first of all, he was lying]

It's less wanting to leave it behind but more that it doesn't matter what I remember - I'm still me.

[in every lifetime, he's still just baren]

[after everyhing, it's nice to know they've still got the same views. or similar ones, at least.]

Whatever. I'm not repeating anything to remember that. It's not important.

That's boring.

[bitch bitch bitch]

I already told you that prick kicked the crocodile. Be happy with that.

He told me that he kicked the crocodile, actually.

[a wave of his hand]

C'mon Z, you're really gonna let Sanj tell me better stories?

[don't do this, baren]

All I remember is being locked up and that asshole kicking an animal. It's not like it's all that exciting.

[what other details were there? the room was flooding?? his captain was there??]

It's not like it's another kung fu giraffe or something.