IT'S A TWOFER [OPEN]

[soft_focus]

[The Hills of Neloi & Westermiln | The 6th]

[After a few times creeping in and out of a camping group, Reira, a new phone, and her personal headspace companion are off on their own once again. It's better that way, she thinks. As much as making new friends would be nice, she doesn't enjoy causing the stress and worry she's seen from anyone present during one of Zarc's tantrums. What started as avoidance for the sake of caution becomes avoidance for the sake of 'care'. As she wanders along the highway and eventually off the beaten path into more hilled terrain, this becomes 'easier' to accept. It's quieter here.

And even Zarc can't whine forever (though he does his best to try).

It is perhaps mid morning, after sleeping in under some tree cover, that it hits. For the most part, she hasn't been unaware of the changes her limbs are going through-obviously the arm with a glove on it was obvious, but she can see the ever growing scales along her other elbow, as well as her knees. When she wakes in the morning to roll her sleeve back and see not only bulking scales and 'muscle' (or at last what looks like it) gathering around some kind of violet stone, she feels a chill run down her spine.

It looks like Dark Rebellion's stones.

...It frightens her. Despite knowing it'll only encourage Zarc to laugh more in her head, all she can think is if this would have happened if Yuuya had resisted more. A slow, gradual descent into-]

NGHK-

[That is about when she jumps, a shock of pain different from Zarc's typical tantrums, shoots through her rear. Zarc, in fact, makes an enormous deal about it not even being him...for whatever reason, something he'd only vaguely grumbled about once or twice while she considered the 'zarc-like' limb changes. But the girl shouts, and runs, blindly pacing the tree with her hands at her backside as if trying to find some kind of animal biting there.

There's no animal, but when she finally ends up tripping face first on the ground thanks to the aimless running-] Yy-LLFP!

[...Sproof.

That sure is a big fluffy tail seemingly made of nothing but feathers and down.]

[Now I Am Here, Now I Am There- | The 8th]

[She....

Is lost.

Reira holds her middle, stomach growling a bit as she wanders. It's been a few days now-there's been lots of berries at least, so she's managed to at least eat. And she managed to wander near a river too, which helps. But she's lost. She's lost, and all she can think of is finding another campfire, or finding Yuusei, or...

She could probably use the phone but admittedly the thought doesn't actually occur to her since she's not used to using phones anyway. It doesn't help that her tail is an inch or two longer either. It still looks like it's all feathers and fluff, but there's definitely something long in there, somewhere...

It's tucked in her shorts right now though.

Reira wanders. She wanders, and wanders, until finally she just squeezes her eyes shut and stiffens. She's lost, she's hungry, and Zarc is going on and on about it and whining about how she's in over her head, this is all her fault, she was at least better off with the 'duelist' (because at least then he could maybe fight the guy)-]

Just STOP!

[Rather suddenly there's a burst of flower petals, feathers, and some kind of wind-blown dust.

And then suddenly she's elsewhere.] Mnh?

[This happens more than once, actually.] AHH-!

[Too many times.]

KNGH- [Suffice to say she looks pretty frazzled whenever she finally comes to some kind of stop for....however long she has.]

Comments

8th

[reluctantgenius]

[Well it's not civilization, but there's a person. And they're napping against a tree on this bright and sunny day. Though isn't it dangerous out-

A bright yellow rodent perks up to attention from their side when the human doesn't. Its nose and long ears twitch at the strange... thing. Ya don't look threatening, but definitely suspicious!]

Pi...?

[soft_focus]

[A person against a tree does not immediately catch her attention when she stops. Reira gasps for breath-Zarc is panicking something fierce in the back of her mind, and between that, and the pain, and the change of location, she's thoroughly scattered and confused. The girl stumbles, and finally manages to fall to her knees, hands gripping the soil as she breathes.

That's about when she spots the pikachu.] ...um...

[reluctantgenius]

[Suddenly the rodent moves to tap insistently with cute and tiny paws at its sleeping companion's face- who finally wakes on its first try without electricity getting involved.]

Hm...? What- [A yawn~] -is it now?

[The human gets "chus" and squeaking in reply. It'll be hard for the girl to tell how old this stranger is because he looks like someone Yuya's age dressed in loose robes and a samurai-style chestplate on top decorated with lightning bolts... and the sight of Reira makes him a little more alert]

Oh.

Piiiika...

[He seems to take in the details of her appearance, initially not finding anything else to say.]

.... If I had to make a guess... it seems you're lost and having some trouble?

[soft_focus]

[Wow, rodent's working some miracles here isn't he. Reira has to stare to say the least. You look kinda...weird. Duel monster weird. Though apparently he didn't see her port in, which is good. Maybe he's from around here??? He looks a bit like he might fit in more at least. The girl nods.] ...A little...

[BUT!! Only a little ok.]

[reluctantgenius]

[Plenty of scritches for the mouse, who looks pleased at the attention and more relaxed about the girl. And then he stands up from where he was napping, stretching for moment, but still appearing to be more than ready to conk out again if given the chance.]

Hm..!

[That totally wasn't a held in cough or anything.]

Don't worry, I don't see a reason to trust any place in that city yet either. Need some company?

8th

[ruinimpendent]

[ Well. Basch had been summoned, and had decided to simply wander into the Highlands, until he was truly given purpose. Towards the mountains - like where he'd been staying. What's a century of exile when you're summoned by others? This time, alone again. No more cold was hitting him from his boyfriend.

And then suddenly, a child.

Basch simply sits there, looking from his resting spot. ]

...Hello.

[soft_focus]

Mnfg-

[Fortunately, this is the second time this has happened. Unfortunately, Zarc is no less 'chill' about it, and it means Reira is grimacing and wincing something fierce. FORTUNATELY however...she also sort of appeared two to three feet off the ground and fell flat on her front, so the expressions can probably be 'sourced' to...That.

Reira pulls herself up, grunting a little and brushing dirt and such off her clothes before looking to the one who spoke. This is once again someone she didn't see at the campfire...and it's a bit unnerving.] Umh....

[ah.] ...Hello...?

[ruinimpendent]

[ Basch, for his part, seems calm for one who dresses like him. Even if his life in Dalmasca was long passed, he was wearing the selfsame clothes he wore on that adventure. (Except with a blue-and-black scarf, looking as if it could connect to another.)

What can he say, he's nostalgic. And the looks he got when he roamed down, back home, were worth it - as if a ghost had been seen. Head lowering, Basch sounded calm. Not like somebody who'd been kidnapped and alone. ]

...New to that spell?

[ He's assuming - quite rightly - that this child is not what they seem. But there's no reason to not be calm about it. If one could be summoned, then others could be. And if others were summoned, would they not be abnormal? Bringing beings forward who had nothing to give wasn't the way of cults nor gods. ]

[soft_focus]

I didn't....

[Well. She frowns. It's probably a spell of some sort, but it's definitely not one she's trying to cast or...create or...Can she even do that?]

...It just started happening... [she eventually says, staring at the ground.]

[ruinimpendent]

...Hm.

[ Basch stands - letting his stance seem almost lazy. Less threatening - though he does hold strength in his body. ]

This realm is dangerous, if you've learned skills such as that with no training. Have you defense?

[ He's still keeping his distance, however. Seeing how she reacts. ]

8th

[scramasax]

[She's not the only one who's lost, but for Anthony, it's a case of being partially willingly so. He woke up - he shouldn't have woken up, no, he shouldn't have been alive, and yet he was more alive than he'd been in over a thousand years; that had been cold breath he'd been pulling into his lungs, and that's been a heart pounding itself rhythmically against the inside of his chest, swore he'd felt his ribs ringing on each hit - and oh, yes, he escaped, not sure whether to thank God or be suspicious of the fact that he had his scramasax back with him.

He took off for the woods sprinting, alert and expectant in every stride that it'd start teeming with demons, guards to capture him, anything, and that they'd surge forth and wrest him to the ground and --

-- who knows, no. Morbid, morbid curiosity had him speculating, and then knocking the base out from under himself with a "worse". He couldn't let himself settle into that.

But it didn't happen. He started to settle down, a bit. The wilderness was quiet, empty, safe. He's not settled, mind you - he's barely been sleeping and hasn't liked what's happened in that "barely", and the isolation's getting oppressive, but ohh, God, he doesn't want to know who or what lives in the towns he's seen at a distance. He needs to... regroup with himself here. Get used to the feeling of being in a living body again, at least.

And then... he'll face whatever's coming, here.

Wherever he'll go to do that.

The burst of dust and feathers does cause his heart to leap, that said, but -- a humanlike shout. A human voice out here. Instant jolt through 'I'm that seizes him and whips him around with a wavering, rising yelp, a sixteen year old fellow human-looking enough other than a pale yellow shape sitting across the bridge of his nose and a sort of metallic smudge starting to stretch under it, and a sort of "mask" of brown feathers around his eyes. His shortsword's raised.

He's trying to shout, but, uh, he hasn't used his voice much for a while - it's a little simultaneously husky and quivery.]

Stay back -- !

[And -- he swallows the very last bit of noise in that as a feeling like a release of cold air hits him in the face.

It's... a child?

...Oh, please, no, don't tell him he just raised his sword at a child...

He still doesn't completely go off-guard, however - just starts to slowly lower and loosen the position of the sword, as he more quietly, kinda-sheepishly repeats.]

-- St-stay back...

[He lowers his guard just a liiiittle further. Draws a couple of steps back. All while maintaining a fixed, wide-eyed look on the child. It's not even a scrutinizing one - just a holding one. He's still got a bit of letting his mind catch up with him to do before he can settle on looking for any signs of something "off"; for now, he's just not gonna let them out of his sight.]

Wh -- who are you?

[soft_focus]

[OH A SWORD THAT'S GRAND-and he sure did raise a sword to a child, a child who is now scrambling back and putting a gloved hand over the device on her opposite arm. Her sleeve seems to be partially missing on the gloved one-not so on the uncovered one, so perhaps she was cold?

Other than that it seems...nothing is wrong with her.

You know, aside from the shock and the fact that she suddenly appeared in an unknown location face to face with a sword. It's fine.] W-Who are you? [She echoes back, not inclined to share hers first.]

[scramasax]

Aaa -- ...

It -- it, it --

[Why should he be having so much trouble with that, of all things?

He shakes his head hard and rapidly to himself, eyes squinched shut in regret, and then pops them back open, holding still again, and, with active effort in maintaining steadiness:]

Anthony.

-- M. My name is Anthony.

[And he repeats:]

Who are you -- ...? [Before adding, with a thinness and genuine note of sheepishness:] -- Child...?

[That it's part of the question is only implied. It is spoken just as a faltering epithet.]

[soft_focus]

[That's rough buddy. That kind of faltering is rough. As it is, Reira answers quickly, and easily-which is probably a bit of an embarrassment right now.] Reira Akaba. ...Are you ok?

[scramasax]

["Reira Akaba" - interesting name...

And the question kind of blindsides him, has him blink rapidly a couple of times.]

I -- I...

[Why would she ask that, part of him absurdly wonders, before... it hits him that that's what someone would ask. Under ordinary circumstances.

Ordinary circumstances...]

You're -- the first person I've spoken to in... [A few days, since he escaped, but by God, strictly speaking, it's been centuries...] ...i-i-in quite -- some time...

[There's a little vibration in there before the trail-off - not out of sorrow or anything, but out of his being floored to so actively realize that.

And he still doesn't know that it actually is over, but...

Fff, he's going to give in. Let himself believe, unless given sign not to, that it is. Takes a steadying breath.]

Uhmm...

[And finally, he completely lowers the sword.]

For what -- are you out here?

8th

[planetary_bonds]

[It's not really evident just where Reira ends up by the time she's done hopping about, the path is nondescript and peaceful, the weather is warm and comfortable, and the person before her is very hairy-

Hold up, isn't that Yuusei? He didn't seem like the type of guy to let his hair grow out like that. Like...waaaaay out like that. It's very fuzzy. And, uh. Blue? Yeah, there's definitely some blue starting to grow in there.

Maybe he's just spent a lot of time on the road? It sure looks like he's been hitchhiking for a while - he's got the spare phones and tools and other things from the campfire all tied in a makeshift sack, which is then tied onto a stick for easy carrying. Very much the typical hitchiker's ensemble, other than his general...greasy rider jacket and hair thing that he's got going on.

Anyways he sure does look as surprised as Reira is to see her there.]

Ah-Reira?

[soft_focus]

Oof... [Boy that hurt. Third time is the charm, one would think, but it's a pleasant-if not concerning-surprise when Zarc actually shouts 'about' something rather than 'at' it. It's a less intense headache for certain, and she wonders if it's connected to the slightly less mindnumbing 'pulse' that typically assails her. Could it be that he's getting...better somehow?

Reality is, it's more that her empathy is growing duller

Reira pulls herself up, and blinks at Yuusei a few times before properly acknowledging the man. Her eyes are sort of on...] ...Woah...

Your hair grew fast..! [She decides not to think about it being possibly related to her tail.]

[planetary_bonds]

...Ah. It did.

[The tone of his voice seems to indicate he's been getting a lot of comments about his hair recently. Mostly from wayward travellers like themselves.

It's still not funny.]

And you...what just happened? [Teleportation...?]

[soft_focus]

...Why though?

[Oh and. Um.

This. Right. She slowly picks herself up, looking over herself.]

...I don't know, it just is.

[planetary_bonds]

[He nods, evidently still confused despite the lack of change in expression.]

It's the same for me.

[Regarding your question about his hair.]

8th

[cosmompolitan]

--Oh.

[Mom is... not drunk enough for this? Maybe she's too drunk. Look, she's not sure, the temple said she could have some brandy for her spirits, but they didn't anticipate just what a spirited woman she is. No one knows spirits like Dr. R. Lalonde, Ph.D. She may be out on the streets on her own now, but the pleasant, warm buzz stays with her, and she just blinks at the Sudden Child and considers the improbability of her appearance.

Then she just offers Reira the pita she'd been about to eat.]

Falafel, dear?

[soft_focus]

[Too drunk, less drunk, could go either way but it's still drunk. Mom's surprise is good enough to give Reira time to get over her surprise though, and...

...Well obviously a Falafel is...food?] ....What is it?

[What is in the food.]

[cosmompolitan]

[Oh no. A cutie.]

Li'l fried balls of ground chickpeas. And then they're in a pita bread, which's bread, and there's lettuce and tomato and hummus, which might sound yucky, but trust me, I'm a scientist. It tastes fantastic.

[soft_focus]

..... [She is taking the falafel-also, important questions!]

...Why would it sound yucky, it sounds like food. [CHOMPCHOMPCHOMP.]

[cosmompolitan]

Wow! Huh! Well, I just thought--see, when I was your age, I wouldn't have eaten somethin' that was all veggies like that! ...My little girl, either. But she had some very picky phases.

[Mom claps her hands a little out of delight at getting to spend time with such a good little bean.]

How do you like it?