relinquishing | [Written / ANON]

[To wake up in the middle of the night wasn't the issue at all. His sleep hadn't been restful at all, considering what their travelling party was getting ready to do once the sun had risen. Even after all this time, having to fight Van was a tricky thing to try and think about.

But when he opens his eyes to the sounds of woods, the crackle of leaves and branches and rushing of water, he instantly knows something is wrong. The air against the bare skin of his chest is confusing enough, but it's the ache against his shoulders that makes this seem... familiar.

Too familiar.

Memories of months that he didn't even know existed were flowing back, all muddled and cloudy and hard to make out without giving himself a headache. He knew... he knew he had been here before. He knew this was Luceti. He knew he wasn't the first Guy Cecil to have been here.

And he knew Luke had been here as well. A flash of swords, of red hair, of split blood...

Luke lying in the grass, engulfed in a golden light, a dark-haired girl weeping at his side.

Guy jolts up, nearly tripping over the pile that contained his clothes. Without a light source, the only resort he is left to is fumbling around for what's on the ground, doing his best to change from his garments and look for the one item that he needed the most: his journal.

It's as he's groping for his other boot that he finds it, and he quickly pulls his footwear on before wandering to find an adequate light source. He had to send a message.]

PRIVATE - LOCKED TO Luke fon Fabre (!FAILED!)

Luke. It's Guy. If you're awake, I need to talk to you.

[...Wait.

Failed?

Guy can feel his heart pound in his neck. Next best thing - the girl that was, more or less, attached to Luke at the hip.]

PRIVATE - LOCKED TO Xion (!FAILED!)

Xion, it's Guy - Guy Cecil. Hey, I know it's late, but I need to know where you and Luke are.

[...

Failed.

He slams the book shut, jaw tight with fingers pressed firmly to the bridge of his nose. It was too late and his memories are too much of a mess. Had they still been here? He could have sworn... But the idea of Luke having never come back fro that previous memory is enough to make him sick. There was already plenty of suspicion for the Luke he remembered back home. For this one, who he'd watched vanish into thin air---

Screw that. Forget about asking around. Something had happened while he was gone. Perhaps too much. So he presses forward through the muddy ground, trying to find the river he knows he hears, all the while prepping his journal for another set of writing.

He'll just... start with the basics. There wasn't any need to lose his cool just yet.

Right.

...]

[Even with the sun already set, this author doesn't intend to be seen at all. The camera is intentionally covered as the text slowly appears on the journal's page.

First comes a foreign script, written hastily in a language that the writer knows only a handful of people will be able to understand. Whether they respond is a different matter.]

[Underneath it, another message, this time in the more common tongue. Might as well play dumb until he knows exactly what's going here. His mind is a little too muddled to try anything else, anyway.]

I guess we'll start with some basic questions -

Is anyone else here?

What year is it?

What direction is civilization from the river?

And what should someone be expecting to see in the woods this late at night? Can't really say I'm in the mood to get pounced on.

((ooc: For Abyss Cast's convenience: Anyone from Auldrant: Age, rank, background, really just your name will do. Respond if you can.))

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

On the contrary, His Majesty is quite a fan of surprises. But one too many makes it dull, don't you think?

[Yep, this definitely sounds like Gailardia. But Peony can be mindful enough to hold off on writing his name publicly for a little longer.]

[To be fair, physically he's still about 16 -- but Luceti years just made more sense to go by these days.]

Yes, you're right. I suppose that's just something I'm still adjusting to. Though I'm sure by the time I figure it out, I'll need to start learning how to be an adult.

[Now there's some of the optimism Ion is known for -- he's been in Luceti for so long, he's come to realize there's no point in not thinking about living here long term. Even knowing he's essentially living on borrowed time, his life here still feels more stable than it did back on Auldrant. He never even thought about the concept of growing up back then.]

[Oh excellent, that's what she thought.]

I gotcha. Just follow the river in the direction of those mountains! It'll bring you in on the western edge of town-- town's between you and the range.

It is, and it's good to talk to you again, Guy, such as it is. Do you remember your previous stay?

Bits and pieces. Not as much as I'd like, but I'm sure it'll come to me sometime.

[A pause.]

I heard that I wasn't here too long ago.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Being an adult isn't much different. You're still always learning and growing up a little bit. It just comes with its own responsibilities.

[Expectations of emotional maturity, diligence, social rules and etiquette, planning for the future, and dealing with physical changes after one left their prime... really, did anyone ever stop learning?]

I'd say being in the Order was an interesting preparation for that, though. Your maturity has always been pretty impressive under stress.

[The passivity? Not so much. But he'll hold his tongue on that.]

Sounds easy enough. Sad to say, but I'm pretty sure I was going the wrong way that whole time. Not sure if I should even wonder where I might have ended up!

Maybe I could have reassured that bear for you, who knows.

[Can you hear a smirk in someone's writing? It would be awful loud right here.]

< I wouldn't say I'm that confident. Maybe I'm just someone who gets lucky sometimes. >

March

[ She writes it down herself so she can maybe remember it better. ]

But I don't really know how long it's been. I came here last spring, and years are really short here.

[Keep being optimistic, Arietta! It makes it easier for Guy to forget that you are technically not going to be his friend once you find out who he is.]

Well, that's still a good place to start. This would be tricky if you didn't remember it at all!

Now, let's see. If you were here last spring - is that the beginning of the current year in Luceti? Or the spring before that?

< Perhaps you do, on some extraordinarily rare occasions. >

< Perhaps? Not sure whether I should be flattered or just call you cruel. >

< It's possible that both can be equally fitting, so you should feel no need to limit yourself. >

Oh, I don't know about that. [With a soft laugh -- that might just be his modesty speaking.]

But "interesting" is certainly one way of putting it... though I can't say a lot of what I learned in the Order has come to be of much use for something like growing up here in Luceti.

[They didn't even give him The Talk, man. He had to get it from Dist. And from Asch. Not that his options back home would have been any better, of course.]

[She is so amused.] I guess the bear is just going to have to get along without you.

I wish you luck, mystery new feather.

[The handwriting becomes a little more sloppy as Sync is...yes, annoyed at this message.]

Not that courageous? Right, says the person who asked us our names while not identifying themselves first.

< The possibility of a possibility, huh? What a way to start making this confusing.

Thanks, though. >

Probably for the best if your company can't hold much of a conversation.

[After the last flick of his pen, the camera is uncovered, just long enough for him to flash a chipper smile and press a finger to his lips. No taddling! And he'll just continue writing, please and thank you.]

Hey, luck got me a pretty clever guide. I should be set.

Thanks.

No, not too long. Things are different, all the same. I'll answer any questions you have to the best of my ability.

< If you are only now starting to feel confused, then I must not be doing my job right.

Even beyond me, this place itself should be confusing enough for a newcomer. >

[Oh snap.]

< I've picked up a few things. Not enough to make much sense right now, but at least it's something. >

Thanks. I know it's late, so I'll try to keep if brief.

Do you know who's still around?

< Enough to find your way out of the forest? Such a daring adventurer you must be. >

< Nope, just lucky. A generous little guide told me easy directions to town.

No one's said much about these crazy wings, though. >

[Not that they're new to him.]

A smart thing to live by, definitely.

No, I can't say that I do. But it's nice to know who around here has knowledge about things, you know? Assuming her stories are from personal experience, I mean.

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[Private - Voice] "sees how tall he is" SHUSH

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[Written, Anonymous] writing this on a ds. never again.

[Written, Anonymous] haha i have mastered the art of ds tags

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written anon;

[Written, Anonymous] teach me the ways of the stylus, gore-senpai

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[Written, Anonymous] it is a mystical art

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written/anon; WOW HI this got stuck in my spam folder, I am so sorry