Interpreting the meaning/nuance of a conversation


The following is less a question of grammar or language but more of
understanding and context, because I feel like I'm maybe missing something. I
have the following conversation/sequence of events. There is the Leader with
her two subordinates, and due to anime shenanigans she just had a vision or
something grip her. Note that both the leader and the subordinates have
forgotten a log of their long lives. This is what follows:

> **Leader:**
>
> 我は今ナニを…
>
> ...
>
> 記憶にあるか (line break) 二人とも
>
> (next page) 遠い過去…”我らと共にあった者”だ
>
> _shock on subordinates' faces_
>
> **Leader:**
>
> どうだ？
>
> _subordinates shake heads_
>
> _Leader disappointed_
>
> **Subordinate A:**
>
> でもねLeaderさま
>
> ”近くにいないとなんか落ち着かない”  
>  ってのはわかる
>
> **Subordinate B:**
>
> 私にとっては  
>  ”なにより必要で大切な”もの  
>  …ですね
>
> **Leader:**
>
> あれは…  
>  ”どうあっても我がもとになければならない”もの  
>  …だ

A rough translation of the first bit could be:

> Leader: What the heck...was that my memories just now? And two of you too...  
>  long time ago...with "the person who used to be with us".
>
> What about you?
>
> Subordinates: Nope.

Apart from the 二人とも which confused me and that I now think refers to the
subordinates and that とも is in this case "also with", this is mostly okay. The
bigger problem was the fragmentation of the lines.

But the following kinda confuses me. So we know that the subordinates don't
remember the mysterious person. But...

> Sub A: But, Leader-sama...I do know how they say "to feel uneasy when not at
> someone's side"... you know.
>
> Sub B: For me, it's "indispensable and precious thing"...is that so?
>
> Leader: That is..."Something that must be at my side at all costs"...is what
> it is.

The above is just weird to me.

I'm getting a feeling that they are trying to say that even though they don't
know or remember this person that Leader just remembered, they are cognizant
that Leader might be sick from being far away from this person, or that they
might be something precious to her. And then Leader corrects them a bit about
what she actually feels. That she must have that person at her side again at
all costs. Problem here is B saying that FOR HER it's a precious thing.

OR

Those two are trying to say that though they don't remember or have had the
vision, they are familiar with the feeling of unease since someone is missing
(in case of A) and that there is someone precious and indispensable (for B),
and then Leader states how she also feels on this. But the problem here IMO is
that A doesn't say she feels like this, but that she knows/understands such a
pain. Hell TBH, that form "quote"ってのはわかる almost feels like she is saying that
she is aware of a saying on those lines.

OR

It could be something entirely different, and all those もの's could be one of
its many other meanings that I tend to forget about ;)

So what would be your interpretation of the final exchange? Unless I am
mistaken about my interpretation of the part that precedes it.

Also...I'm not sure what's with them making pauses right before the です and だ
bit. I'd have thought if they were having trouble saying it, the pause would
be sooner. But that's the least of my troubles.




My sense in this dialogue is that the quotation marks are being used by each
character to try to describe their specific feelings or impressions, not as an
attempt to quote some other source...

and the "mono"'s are simply a placeholder for this unknown person from their
memories, so "someone" seems like the best fit, to me.

> 我{われ}は今{いま}ナニを…

What was I just...

> 記憶{きおく}にあるか二人{ふたり}とも

Do you have memories too, you two?

> 遠{とお}い過去{かこ}… ”我{われ}らと共{とも}にあった者{もの}”だ

in the distant past... (a sense/feeling of)"someone with us"?

> どうだ？

Well?

(subordinates shake heads, Leader disappointed.)

> でもねLeaderさま、”近{ちか}くにいないとなんか落{お}ち着{つ}かない” ってのはわかる。

However, Leader, I do understand/get (the feeling of) "being restless because
they're not nearby."

> 私{わたし}にとっては ”なにより必要{ひつよう}で大切{たいせつ}な”もの …ですね。

For me, (there's a sense of) "someone important, who I need more than
anything"...

[code]

    *the ですね。 here is being used as an informative voice, not one seeking clarification.
    
[/code]

> あれは… ”どうあっても我{われ}がもとになければならない”もの …だ

That's... Someone who, "Whatever happens, has to be at my side." ...

All of the ...'s are used exactly as we use them in English, to indicate a
long and thoughtful pause. The reason some of them occur before the copula is
that this pattern of speech demonstrates thought/hesitancy more than if they
followed the copula (because that would allow the next speaker to fill that
gap in such a way that it would not come across the same way.)




My sense in this dialogue is that the quotation marks are being used by each
character to try to describe their specific feelings or impressions, not as an
attempt to quote some other source...

and the "mono"'s are simply a placeholder for this unknown person from their
memories, so "someone" seems like the best fit, to me.

> 我{われ}は今{いま}ナニを…

What was I just...

> 記憶{きおく}にあるか二人{ふたり}とも

Do you have memories too, you two?

> 遠{とお}い過去{かこ}… ”我{われ}らと共{とも}にあった者{もの}”だ

in the distant past... (a sense/feeling of)"someone with us"?

> どうだ？

Well?

(subordinates shake heads, Leader disappointed.)

> でもねLeaderさま、”近{ちか}くにいないとなんか落{お}ち着{つ}かない” ってのはわかる。

However, Leader, I do understand/get (the feeling of) "being restless because
they're not nearby."

> 私{わたし}にとっては ”なにより必要{ひつよう}で大切{たいせつ}な”もの …ですね。

For me, (there's a sense of) "someone important, who I need more than
anything"...

[code]

    *the ですね。 here is being used as an informative voice, not one seeking clarification.
    
[/code]

> あれは… ”どうあっても我{われ}がもとになければならない”もの …だ

That's... Someone who, "Whatever happens, has to be at my side." ...

All of the ...'s are used exactly as we use them in English, to indicate a
long and thoughtful pause. The reason some of them occur before the copula is
that this pattern of speech demonstrates thought/hesitancy more than if they
followed the copula (because that would allow the next speaker to fill that
gap in such a way that it would not come across the same way.)

