When U Realize U Have TWO Names Now [OPEN/VIDEO-JACK TIME]

[soft_focus]

[She's been wandering for so long that her feet feel like they are ready to burst. The scales keep progressing but what's more is the tail did not take long before it was too long, even for her shorts. It hangs out above the belt line, a mess of feathers followed by a long and thin line of scales that is at least as long as she is tall. She can't even tell where she's appeared this time-typically it's on some cliffside, closed in by trees and bushes, or within the confines of some city...now she's pretty sure she's on a mountain in the trees again, but she can't place where, not even with her map.]

Hahhh...Aaahhhhhh... [And her feet HURT. They hurt so bad that she's surprised there isn't blood in the shoes, yet all she can do is cover her ears as Zarc starts screaming and screaming-the usual rush of pain isn't following but the sound is enough, and finally as she starts to kick off the things through breaking stitches she screams.

A long, loud, belting cry, followed by relief as clawed toes cut at what shreds of shoe cloth remain on her feet.

Reira breathes heavily, and the dragon-like limbs stare back. She finds herself pulling off her-Yuusei's-gloves, pocketing them as she compares the two 'sets'. Bracelet stones in one arm, pearls of the dragons in the other...and now her legs, up to the knee, are just as bulked and scaled, a large 'spike' coming off her ankle to twist if she thinks about it hard enough, almost as if it's meant for grip rather than decoration.

The girl shakes-and Zarc hisses, but she pulls herself together if only to climb. She doesn't want to think about his snarling-she doesn't want to think about looking 'like' him, it's not him doing it anyway, is it? It's not.

...And...her feet don't hurt, she realizes. A lot doesn't hurt any more, something she failed to think about thanks to the earlier pain. Zarc's usual 'pulse' was gone, and likely had been gone a while, replaced by the searing pain through her feet. But without that there, with the relief...

As Reira climbs the rocks she realizes her feet don't even hurt thanks to this. She climbs higher and higher, and her hands feel nothing of the sharp stones, tail lashing behind her as she goes. As she goes, and climbs, and reaches the top only to gasp.

This is why she could not find where she was. The mountain peak seems to overlook everything, the sun far toward the horizon as she looks out over it. It's...beautiful, she thinks, and more importantly as she looks over the end of the peak to see a slope of grass and trees she finds herself thinking it's 'open'. Open and wild and untouched, fresh with the scent of flowers and the sounds of birds.

Reira laughs, quietly at first-but some impulse shakes through her and it grows louder, the girl charging down through the tall grasses with yelps and screeches and roaring laughter. Her feet feel no pain from the pebbles and sticks beneath-and her hair blows behind her, just as much as her tail. She runs and she runs until exhaustion does finally take her, rolling down the hill to a stop on her back with faded laughs as her position overlooks still more in the distance. Nothing hurts-and she finds herself at peace as the sun finally sets, the moon's shape clear in the distance as the stars begin to slowly make themselves known. As the wind blows gently through the air, bird cries faint, and flowers rustling amid the grass.

Flowers....Birds...Wind...Moon...

It feels somehow like something wet is on her face, but it is not tears-her eyes are dry after all. She ignores it for now; it's probably nothing, and it's not raining, except...

'I... ...It's so...bright...'

Was that Zarc just now..?]

[VIDEO - MARCH 16TH, EVENING]

[That kid from before Sure Does have a pair of eyes under her usual ones. She's opted to leave her gloves off at least though, so that's a thing. Though only slightly yellowed compared to her skin, it's a strange sight, especially when it's clear the bulk of the arms wasn't due to glove padding somehow.] ...Um...I was on a hill, earlier, [Still is, technically] and I realized I didn't say anything for a while.

...For a few days...

[Ah.] Is everyone okay still?

Comments

[soft_focus]

[Um.

Yikes. She thought she was going through changes. Even Reira can't hold back shock at the sight of this, and 'Zarc's' eyes widen as well.] Y...Yuusei..!

...Are you sure, you look really sick...

[planetary_bonds]

I'm fine, Reira.

[Really, he doesn't feel any different...he instead raises an eyebrow.]

But yourself...are you okay?

[Personally, Yuusei thinks a second pair of eyes might be a bit more of a worrying change than his skin suddenly bleaching itself.]

[soft_focus]

You don't look fine....

[Anyway.] ...I'm okay, but Zarc is really quiet now-sometimes he says something about it being bright out, so I don't think he's used to having real eyes again...

[There were more important things at hand in the Big Duel after all. And come to think, the two sets seem to move independently...]

[planetary_bonds]

I'm not sick, if that's what you're thinking.

[The longer one looks at him, the more it looks like he just had some kind of pallete swap, not sickened, especially since he's holding himself the same way.]

So those are his eyes, then?

[soft_focus]

...Okay....

[Anyway.] It's what they look like. I think they were from his dragon face, but I couldn't get that close...

[planetary_bonds]

Hm...

[That sounds pensive.]

Changes that allow him to experience the world with you, is it...

[soft_focus]

...I better not get another nose or mouth...

[planetary_bonds]

I'd start worrying if you grew another head, personally.

[...is that a joke...? yuusei...]

[soft_focus]

Don't say that..!!!

[planetary_bonds]

...

[whoops.]

Sorry.

[soft_focus]

...do you really think another head might happen...?

[planetary_bonds]

...

I'm keeping myself open to the possibility.

[soft_focus]

[Noooooooooooooooooooooo,,,] ....I really hope it's not another head...

[planetary_bonds]

[sorry, kid. he'll make his voice extra subdued for you.]

I hope so, as well.

[at least Zarc seems mollified for the time being?]

[soft_focus]

Yeah...

[Better topics, plz] Um....

...Where are you?

[planetary_bonds]

I've found myself a place to stay for the time being.

["Place" is subjective to opinion.]

It needs work, but it's livable. Yourself?

[soft_focus]

I think I'm in a valley?

[Confusion. BUT!] I haven't vanished for a while though! I think maybe it's stopped...

[planetary_bonds]

[Oh? Now that is a point of interest.]

Stopped? Like...the power has vanished, or you may have gotten control of it?

[soft_focus]

I don't know! I haven't tried using it...

[planetary_bonds]

You think it would be safe to try?

[soft_focus]

...I think that if it works but doesn't work the way I want, it's as bad as if it just happened again, so...

[planetary_bonds]

Something you're not unused to.

[Pause.]

I'd suggest preparing yourself beforehand, if you feel like trying.

[soft_focus]

.... [She's not really sure what she needs to prepare, so she just nods-and with a blip of static....

Aha, there's Reira again, except... on a beach?] Um....

...I think I need to practice figuring out how to get to places...

[planetary_bonds]

Hm.

[How do you practice instantly teleporting, though?]

Maybe practice visualizing the place you want to go, first. That might help.

[soft_focus]

But I haven't been to a lot of places long enough to think about them. Just the campfire...