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[Not long after the text, Rinku can be found running over from the direction of the nearest teleport node. She's pretty easy to spot -- a young woman with giraffe horns and a tail, scars spreading across her face, and a shirt that says "weird sisters build character" isn't too common.]

Hi! You're the new guy on Cinder, right?

Edited 2025-04-28 17:38 (UTC)

{ thankfully, having met before, it's pretty easy to identify her from the post as she comes running over. it's true she definitely stands out though, at least amongst the crowd of locals here. he's not really ventured too far, just a bit into solarpeak to chase the sun a little bit. }

Yeah, that's me! Thanks for coming to help. I've kind of just been wandering so having some direction would be nice.

Yeah, yeah! [smile smile -- wait is she glowing.] There's parks and nature spaces all over, though a bunch of them are way smaller. Some places in Nightwake are only a block and some? Frostreign has a lot of natural area, but that's because most people don't live up there 'cause it's freezing. I dunno why, it's fun! Exotic!

Edited 2025-04-29 14:11 (UTC)

{ is she glowing- she is met with a bright smile in return either way, glad that even if she finds the cold area exotic he won't be stumbling to find his way around now. }

How long have you been here anyway? I met someone when I arrived who said they'd been here 2 years. Kinda hard to imagine that's possible. But I bet if you've been here a while the city is easy to remember like the back of your hand.

Hm... on this calendar, it was February in 215, and now it's April in 217, so a little over two years, yeah!

[sparkle.]

Let's go! Which district do you wanna explore first?

Huh! So you've been here just as long. Well, in that case, how about we go with your favourite local spot? Unless that's also Blossomcrown, I guess we already covered that one...

Hm... I know!

[She reaches for his wrist to start tugging him towards the nearest teleport node.]

There's a park in Amberfall where they used to hold the Arts Festival before it moved to the Titanic Dome. It's nice there, everything's always colourful!

{ he'll stumble the first step after her since he hadn't expected that, but there's no move to make her let go. instead he'll quicken his pace to keep up. }

Oh, that's the one you mentioned before, right? On the app?

I think so? There's a lot of places.

[Rinku activates the teleport node as soon as they're there, and suddenly they're in the Amberfall district square, leaves blowing and bicycles weaving through the lanes. She gets onto the sidewalk and points past the Fairy Queen statue.]

This way! This district's really pretty, it's a big artist area. Neechan lives here, and I take Mary-chan here a lot too -- oh, she's the kid I'm looking after, she loves art and painting.

It really is huge, yeah.

{ he'll fall into rinku's pace though, speeding his steps as necessary and letting her just pull him along wherever she thinks to head first. he's used a teleport once or twice, but it still fields weird and different compared to going through a heavenly portal door... thingy. }

There are kids here too? { that is alarming, but if rinku is taking care of her, she's probably in good hands. } But wow. It really is beautiful, kind of similar to fall at home, though we don't have a statue like that.

Yeah, it's really cool! I think this might be the most famous statue? But there's a bunch of statues and art pieces and stuff in Amberfall.

[She smiles up at the statue as they pass it. It's not far to the park, where the path is lined with trees with orange and yellow leaves that occasionally flutter down to the ground.]

It's nice here! There's a big clearing further down, even if it's not as big as where people hold parties and stuff in Blossomcrown.

I think they usually put the bigger famous ones in the centre or near the entrance to places normally, right?

{ it's a nice temperature here too. not hot, not cold. and it really is pretty seeing all the autumn leaves. }

How often do parties even happen here?

All the time! I mean, there's a lot of people, so they'd be doing a lot of stuff, right? But if you mean the really big city festival type stuff, hm... I dunno what counts and what doesn't. But the Arts Festival's the closest one, and there's the Influencer Gala in a couple weeks, and Solstice the month after that...

I guess so? I guess once the new semester kicks off back home more events do as well, so I wasn't sure if that went the same here.

Do they have colleges and stuff here? You said there's a kid called Mary right? She doesn't just... skip school while here?

{ he did not pay attention as not taking classes sounded better--a break from it is welcomed. } But wow, that is a lot. Do you go to them all? Would be nice to at least know one friendly face if I drop by.

Mary-chan goes to elementary school, and we have other levels of school too. At least up through high school, and then there's magic school and potion school, those take whatever age 'cause lots of people didn't have those things back home.

[Rinku smiles and nods excitedly. The path winds up to a bridge, and she runs up to the railing and watches geese swimming in the stream.]

{ well that's something, but he hadn't realised the kid Rinku had been talking about was that young. That really is awful. wait- }

Magic school and potion school? Those sound pretty different, do they teach you about the powers we get here or something else?

{ he can't think of anyone in particular her behaviour reminds him of when she runs to look at the geese swimming, but it's a welcome site. a reminder that with all the weird stuff going on here and back home sometimes the simplest things in life are the nicest. watching some geese splash around will never get old. }

That's mostly in the guilds. The Magical Manor just teaches spells anyone can do. Like, hm... There!

[Rinku spots a muddy shoe washed up onto shore. She points at it, screws her face up to think, and channels something, and suddenly the shoe is clean.]

I learned that one off a quest, though. I just went to normal school.

That's handy! Can you teach someone else that? Or did it have to be through the quest?

{ thankfully he is not about to ask if it works on blood. }

Sure I can! I dunno if I'm good at teaching, but it's a pretty simple spell. All it does is clean mud off of stuff. This way!

[Rinku runs across to the other end of the bridge. She deliberately steps in the mud, covering her shoe with pond muck, and demonstrates the spell again to clean it off good as new.]

There! Now you try! Get something dirty and then do what I did to clean it.

I tend to be more of a practical learner anyway, we can figure it out as we go.

{ well that answers that, but at least it's better than being stuck with mud on clothes as well. he watches her movements as she demonstrates the spell, starts to copy it then freezes- }

Wait, there's no words or anything?

Some of them have words. Others you just do stuff and focus on something. The first spell I ever learned, you say whatever nice and happy things you can think of while focusing on protection, and it makes normal clothes act like armour. How come?

Oh. It's just different to what I'm used to. If I want to use a blessing, I have to say certain rites or prayers. Uh. Sometimes, anyway. I guess it is pretty similar after all.

{ should he be telling her all of this? maybe not, but the rules kind of changed when being brought here.

so he'll try properly this time, dipping his white sneaker into the mud with a wince. but he'll focus right after, trying to copy what rinku did to make the mud clean itself away. }

[Rinku claps and makes a gleeful little noise when Ezra cleans the mud away.]

Yeah, you got it! I dunno about being a priest [she's just assuming he's a priest???] and how close it is to Ellipsan magic, but I bet you'll get this stuff in no time.

{ he looks pleased with himself when his shoe is thankfully clean again, glad he isn't going to have to replace them or anything. }

It depends on how many words I have to learn really. But maybe sometime I'll show you what I can do. I already checked I still had my blessings here, so I know they aren't gone.

That makes sense! Most powers from home are still here. Even for people who are really strong! It's cool, huh?

Pretty helpful, though I guess it would kind of make it tough to save people here if we didn't have what we're used to from home.

Hm... maybe. Though some of us didn't have any powers back home. And some monsters are strong against anything but season powers.

Yeah, a lot of people back home don't either. It's just those of us fighting for the church--at least that I know of. I guess I'll have to figure out the season powers soon though, if I really want to be able to properly help.

Wow, like one of those anime with the clergy fighting vampires! That's real? I gotta ask Lyrilily or HayaCoco if it's real back home too! Oh, but what if it's secret? But it's exciting!

Huh? Other worlds have anime about that? Though we don't fight vampires--demons are what we fight. But yeah, I'm uh... not really supposed to go around telling people. I figured since we're all here though, it doesn't make sense to hide it.

Oh, okay! That's fine. I forget about keeping stuff from home secret here too, since no one here is from there anyway.

You have secrets about where you're from too?

Yeah! Just kinda stuff I found out by accident. Or I guess coincidence? There used to be this secret project that was using these energy waves generated by music made from different artists working together, and they invented sen... senti... AIs who were actual people. To try and give some rich people "digital immortality." They shut it down when stuff went wrong, but there are still two AIs they made, they're our friends now.

Huh. Sounds complicated. I mean I haven't struggled too much with the technology as it's fairly similar to home. We have phones, laptops and stuff like that but I don't think we've done much with AI on the same scale. My friend would probably know more as he's studying engineering.

That still sounds really cool! My family are scientists, but I never did well in school to do something like that. Right now I work at Shining Karaoke.

I never did either really. Though I guess I was kinda balancing two things at once, but even then I find it hard to sit down and study. You work at a karaoke place here though? How's that? Is it fun? Or do you have to listen to people singing like seagulls?

Yeah, it is! It's the kind with private rooms and stuff. I like it, it's fun. Though I still dunno if I wanna do that forever.

Well, what did you wanna do before you came here?

{ he looks thoughtful } Though I guess if you get qualifications here they may not count at home, right? It'd suck to have to study it twice.

I dunno! I just want to perform with my unit, and we wanna get big someday. But they're not here. I do solo lives and stuff, but it'd be weird to try and go pro without them.

That makes sense. I know how it feels to be missing the rest of the team, even if it isn't for the same kinda thing. You could try broadening your horizons? I guess you make music at the moment?

{ 'solo lives' gives that impression anyway }

Yeah! I perform as DJ Link! I mix up music and do remix covers and original songs. It's fun! ...Though I haven't actually written too many new ones, Maho-chan and Rei-chan did that for our unit back home.

You'll have to let me know when you're doing one again, I'll come check it out.

Yeah, I will! I play at the Arts Festival, that's a ton of fun every year.

Oh you perform there too? I thought it was like... painting and shit. Not that music would be there too. I'll definitely come watch then.

Yeah! There's paintings and stuff, but also music performances, and last year they added in fighting tournaments too! And this year there's other competitions! It's getting bigger and more exciting and... 「Happy Around!」

[Rinku spins in a circle and points in the air.]

{ 'happy around'? he assumes there's something with the translation which is why this sounds more emphasised compared to the rest of her words, but her excitement really is contagious. }

They have fighting tournaments too? Sounds like it's a good event to go to then. Though I don't really know how fighting fits into arts...

I dunno either, but it's been really popular this year. The signups filled way faster than last year.

Huh. Wonder what changed? I guess more people arrived who would be into that?

{ it's nice to have a normal conversation after everything that's happened to him lately. besides, the view is pretty entertaining. they get to witness one silly goose trying to duck underwater and losing its balance for one thing. }

I dunno! But lots of things get more popular as they keep going, right? Most stuff isn't a big hit right away.

[She giggles and cheers, watching the goose.]

Go, goose, you can do it!

I guess? Depends on what it is, I think. Makes sense an event has to work that way though. And thanks, by the way, this area really is nice. It's peaceful. Even if that little guy seems to be having a bad day, it's nice to see how calming it is here.

[smile smile]

That's great! I bet you'll find all kinds of fun things while you're here. Sometimes it feels like Ellipsa has everything that could ever exist!

It makes sense though, right? There's a lot of different types of people that have come from different places. I imagine if we all brought something new together, we'd never get bored.

Yeah! And so much was already here! Do you like water parks? Mega Waterland's a lot of fun.

I don't get to go to them often, really, but they can be a lot of fun. Do you normally go there with your family as well?

{ he remembers the picture she shared earlier, so it'd make sense if she does }

Sometimes! And Mary-chan likes coming here to Amberfall to see the museums and art galleries and statues and stuff. She loves art! I think everyone does, though Hina-chan mostly just wants to be included.

That makes sense, they do say people with similar tastes are kinda drawn to each other, right? Though you said family, didn't you? So maybe that's it.

Yeah! I know we're not blood related, but we're still family. Neechan lives out here in Amberfall too, since she loves books and stuff and this district has the biggest library. It's huge!

That's all that matters. { he firmly believes this, his team is his family at this point after all. he lost his own blood relations years ago. } Though I can't say I'm in a rush to go to a library.

What kinda stuff do you like instead?

I like to keep active, so really anything that keeps me busy like that. I still need to find a good gym here actually, or someone to spar with.

Oh, you can definitely find people! There's always someone on the network looking for sparring partners! Or you could just try going to your guild house or the Grand Colosseum and looking. I usually don't have trouble!

Oh, I guess I could try something like that as well then. I guess we all have to start somewhere, right? If you ever wanted to as well though, I'd be happy to give it a go. I imagine with two years here you've picked up a lot, right?

{ hopefully she has anyway }

Yeah! Not as much as other people. I had a really slow start. But I'm trying to make up for it now.

Well, I could try and help as well if you'd want? I'm obviously behind with the magic or whatever the powers are here, but when it comes to the physical side I could try and teach you a thing or two.

I think I'm doing pretty good, but sparring sounds like fun to see where we're at! When did you wanna do that?

I mean I don't have a job yet, so I guess it depends when you're free?

Sure! Hm... how about at the Summer Guild tomorrow? I should be done training after lunch, so I can come back and use my guild pass so we can use the training rooms in there.

That works for me. Is there anything you need me to bring for you?

Hm... I don't think so? We have training weapons and stuff there.

Oh, that's a good point. What weapon do you usually use? Mine's probably pretty different.

A sword usually, but Neechan's started training me with a scythe too, like she uses! What's yours?

A sword is a pretty good starter weapon honestly. Though a scythe? They're pretty difficult to use. My friend uses one, I could probably do okay with it, but it isn't really the type of weapon you can just uh... exchange? Me? { he points to himself, before grinning at her. } I use a chain whip.

{ why does he look so proud }

Whoa, really? I've never seen someone with that before in real life! You look really happy with it.

It takes quite a lot of training to use it well. But I've been using it for years now.

That's cool! Now I really wanna see you use something like that. I bet it's good against monsters and stuff.

It was back home, as I could use it to restrain them while we completed the rite. We'll see how it fares here though.

Eh? Rite? Like some ritual thingy?

Yeah, exactly. By doing that we can send them back to their home. It's safer than just killing them, as where I'm from if they forced a contract on a human it'd... well it'd kill the human as well. That's pretty depressing though, sorry.

Eh? Contract? I mean, I've seen that on TV and stuff, but not in real life... at least not the kind that kills you.

It's imposed. Most of the time the human doesn't agree to it. { he gives her a small sad smile. } That's why we have to be careful--why chains are better than a sword when fighting them.

Huh... That sounds like a lot. A contract you don't agree to isn't even a contract, I'm pretty sure. I'm not an expert on it, though.

Not in the sense you're thinking of, no. But this is one made in blood. It was never about being in writing in the way you'd think.

I don't get that either. But at least our monsters don't do that. None of the ones I've seen, anyway.

Then that's a relief. We won't have to be quite so careful. I'm not even sure I could exorcise them back to Gehenna either if they aren't from there originally.

Yeah, usually people just chase off monsters... or kill them. A lot, actually. Either for food or because they're dangerous, like the Darkness-corrupted stuff that's strong against everything but season magic.

Sounds like I really need to get started on learning how that works then. Since you've been here a while, is there somewhere that has guides or something on where to begin? I'm guessing the guild?

Yeah, the guilds and the Welcome Centre! Those are both really good for that kinda thing. The Welcome Centre was founded to help people get used to the world.

Oh yeah, I went there when I first got here. Someone called 'Eva' really helped me out there. I didn't realise they had stuff for learning the powers from here though. I should go back and check sometime.

You mean Evangeline-neechan? She's the greatest! She knows everything, and she's always really welcoming. Especially to people who aren't human, since most people here are so sometimes they might feel weird or lonely, and some people don't treat nonhumans well.

Ah yeah, she was on the photo you sent me too right? { as for the rest, his eyes may shift to the side a bit at what she says. he may have been one of those people- } Yeah, she already warned me about how I sounded when I got here. That demons may be different here from what I knew at home. { he sighs } And I uh... have found that to be true. Thankfully I don't seem to have offended any so far like she worried I would.

Eh? You weren't mean to any demons or something, were you? What happened?

Where I'm from they aren't so gentle. { a slightly weird choice of word but okay } They hurt and killed people without remorse. But no. No. Here, I uh.

{ he waves his hands in front of himself. }

Nothing happened. Nothing. Everything was fine.

Eh? I guess if you say it's fine, it must have been fine... Okay! As long as nothing went wrong, then it's good!

I mean I got sick after, but I'm pretty sure that was from getting lost in the rain first. But no, before that nothing went wrong. Really.

Okay! I hope you feel better now. Rainy season is pretty hard sometimes. At least there's no magic illnesses going around right now.

There are magic illnesses here? Actually, maybe that isn't surprising after all. But no, you don't have to worry about that. I must have just been a little run down before I got stuck in it. I don't tend to stay sick for long.

Okay. That's good! Rain of Affection usually just makes people wanna kiss and cuddle and stuff, but if you wanna stay out of it, the weather in Nightwake is all artificial and it doesn't rain in Frostreign. --Oh, yeah, but those weird guys said they were gonna pour rain on people there for some reason, huh.

Y-yeah... { his face may heat up slightly at her mentioning that } I uh--remember. I kept getting lost and ended up in some of the other areas outside the city centre though. But it's fine. I'm fine. Nothing happened.

{ sorry rinku, for being stuck with a broken record. }

A-anyway! Hopefully that doesn't happen too often, right?

[Blink blink. Headtilt. She giggles and smiles.]

Yeah, it's only once a year! It does last a while, though, so you might wanna use an umbrella. People sell them all over the place! There's magic ones too.

Ah yeah, I probably should get one of those. Actually, while we're out now do you mind if I buy one while we're walking around? I imagine this isn't the only place you were going to show me, right?

Yeah, sure! This way!

[Rinku climbs back up the embankment and gestures for Ezra to follow her down the path. It winds around a gazebo, past an old school and its playground, and has a big clearing with fall trees around it like a shelterbelt before coming out the other end.]

There's gotta be stores selling them out here.

Perfect, thanks.

{ luckily he's very agile, it only takes a quick few steps for him to catch up with her and then he has to remind himself to slow down. his legs are likely much longer than hers. it gives him a chance to gaze around all the area though, taking in all the places he hasn't seen yet. }

You'd think so with how it was back again recently, right?

Yeah! And it's still technically Rain of Affection season. It doesn't usually stop until around June or something.

Until June? { don't mind him while he drags his hands down his face while walking. } Then I really do need an umbrella.

There's lots of them! Some that are clear and some that change colours and some that block the rain with magic so the people next to you stay dry too. I saw someone once who had an umbrella that made their hair turn a bunch of colours!

I'm not sure I'd want my hair to change... But one that would block the rain with magic to help someone else stay dry would be nice. Do you have to get the magic ones from somewhere specific?

I think it just depends on which stores have what items for sale. Like anything else. Huh, I wonder where Hijikata-san got that one, then?

Ah, sure. I guess it just is everywhere here, isn't it? Who is 'Hijikata-san'?

Oh, he's a cop, and he's pretty famous! He's kind of loud and gets into fights, but he knows a lot of stuff, and he has a squad of ghosts and a sword. You'll know him when you see him.

It... sounds like it. { he rubs the back of his head } Not because of the sword, but ghosts... and gets into fights.

Oh, and mayo is his favourite thing in the world, so if you see a guy smoking and putting mayo on everything, that's him.

On everything? Even like... on his cereal? In coffee????

I actually wouldn't put it past him.

{ there's a pause and then he's just

going to

drag his hands down his face.

WHY would anyone do that to coffee?! }

...are you okay?

{ his hands are still over half his face when he responds to that }

Shouldn't you be asking that to him...? Can you even taste the rest of the food or drink anymore if you put mayo in it?

I dunno. I don't think so, but Hijikata-san is Hijikata-san. If it makes him happy, that's good, right?

Well... I guess that's true. I just can't imagine loving a food or drink that much to go to that length.

Is there anything you'd wanna put all over your life like that?

{ he pauses at the question, looking thoughtful.

struggles to think of anything in particular. }

Not to that extent, no. I really can't think of anything I'd go that far with.

Hm... Some people are like that and some aren't, so I think that's fine. There's stuff I really like, but more than one thing. And like, I really love donuts, but I eat things other than donuts.

Yeah, donuts are pretty good. So are burgers. Fries. Pizza. { does he eat anything healthy- } But I wouldn't like. Have them in my coffee.

What would pizza coffee even be, anyway?

{ he looks disappointed in himself for even considering this for a moment. } I guess like a cheese and tomato flavoured coffee? Is that even possible?

I dunno if it's possible, but it sounds bad.

Right? I'm not sure I'd be willing to try that. I guess unless I was paid to do it?

You mean like those challenges people have to do on variety shows where they gotta do weird stuff?

Yeah! Exactly like that. If it were for a competition or to win something I'd probably do it.

That makes sense. I -- hey, look!

[Rinku points to a shop with its doors open and a wide display of assorted umbrellas out front.]

That place has a lot of them!

Finally! Now the question which one to get... Do they have labels or something to tell you if they're magical or not?

{ he's already walking over there now she's pointed it out, he'd been way too caught up on the conversation before and forgot they were even supposed to be looking for umbrellas to begin with. }

Hm... I think usually? I can tell if stuff is cursed, but not regular harmless magic.

You'd think they'd cost more as well... Do they do any where it can go really small and you press a button and it gets bigger? That'd be really handy.

Those collapsing ones? Probably! There's a ton in here.

[Rinku starts looking through the racks, humming to herself.]

They were really prepared this year.

Probably because they got lots of complaints. Did your stand do well by the way? You were probably out there a while, right?

{ he'll pick up a couple of the umbrellas to test them, holding them out so neither of them get smacked in the face with an umbrella. }

Yeah! I got a lot of money for the hospital! I'm gonna keep doing it until the rainy season passes. At least when I'm in town and stuff.

That's really kind of you. Maybe some day I'll come along and help if you'd still be up for that.

I uh. May have realised the hard way you really can't just keep trying to ignore it.

{ don't ask for specifics rinku-- but aha! there, he finds a good compact umbrella that pops open now, looking pretty pleased as it opens and shuts at the press of a button. }

I think I'll go with this one.

[Rinku giggles at Ezra's vague confession. She nods excitedly as he chooses an umbrella, and she heads into the shop to check out what else they have.]

Of course you can! Paulo-kun helped me out over Yuletide when the mistletoe bunnies showed up. It was a lot of fun ♪

Mistletoe bunnies?

{ he'll follow her inside the shop now as well. for one thing--he needs to pay, for another he may as well see if there's anything else he may need. }

That sounds really cute actually.

They really are! They were trying to matchmake, I think? I dunno why, maybe they were just celebrating.

Well if they were trying to get people to kiss under mistletoe it would seem like matchmaking wouldn't it--did they trap you with someone?

Not really trapping, just kinda encouraging? But it was a lot of fun anyway!

Well, I guess it more depends on your principles. Some people are really stubborn so if it happens they wouldn't want to back down from the challenge.

{ ezra not everyone is an idiot and would act that way please }

I never thought of it like that. But if you don't wanna do it, you can just leave, right?

That's true! And a much better way of thinking about it.

{ good rinku, don't let anyone trick you into a challenge like that, it isn't healthy. }

Yeah! I never really thought about it anyway. I'm just that kinda person who doesn't have much of a problem, I guess.

So long as you don't end up in any trouble, that's okay I think.

{ there's nothing else he really needs in the store so he'll go pay for the umbrella, glancing over his shoulder while the cashier rings it up. }

Was there anything you needed?

I don't think so! If there is, I'll remember later. Thanks for coming out, Ezra-san! This is fun!

Sure. Just the umbrella then thanks.

{ he says that back to the cashier, and ends up pretty pleased when he's paid it does fit in his back pocket. }

And thanks! I'm really glad for the help too. And it's been nice getting to know you better. It's kind of weird not knowing anyone so this has been really good.

[smile!!!] Don't worry! At this rate I bet you'll make tons of friends. It'll be great, you'll see!

Hopefully! { considering this is from one extrovert to another--it is very relatable. and if rinku has had luck here hopefully he does too! } So other than going to the park here as well, you said it was known for art, right? Are there any other places we should visit or anywhere else you think we should go? Or uh-- I don't want to take too much of your time either if you have places to be.

Hm... there's museums and stuff here, and the library, but where do you wanna go? I have plenty of time! Probably.

Museums could be fun--do you have a favourite of those? But uh. Probably? You probably have plenty of time? Do you have an appointment? { he's already reaching for his phone to check the time } I can set an alarm or something if you need me to.

I gotta work, but that's not until tonight! I just lose track of time a lot. But that's okay, we're still good♪ Don't worry!

Oh right! That makes sense. We should have a while longer yet then. Let's go check out one of the museums. This way?

{ he is pointing in a random direction, whether there's anything that way he has no idea. }

Yeah! Sure, let's go! I think there's cool stuff there!

[Rinku grabs his hand. And they're off... and probably spending the whole afternoon chasing random things that look interesting.]

Have everything reasonably ready to go, but not specialized items. If anything comes to mind for you that shouldn't be missed and isn't a basic, may be worth bringing.

Annie

Yo! I can grab whatever else we need - it's mostly just whatever we need for survival until we get there. Shouldn't need much.

Wanna meet at the air station?

Air station works.

I'll be bringing an egg and what gear was dropped off for me via bear this morning.

{ annie wtf }

Why an egg?

{ he'll use the time to get his own stuff together, at least now he has clothes that won't have issues when he uses his powers from home. but whatever annie answers to that he'll travel light. just enough to live off while going there and back.

he'll keep his coat from home on for the time being though, so he looks like a priest at the moment. he also has a backpack with a few supplies which doesn't match well. }

Pokemon thing.

( Does he know what that is? Hell if she did before coming here, and it's still just a word rather than anything sensible. Companion creatures that want to live in balls. She supposed she could have tossed the egg to one of the neighbors, or asked for Reiner (or maybe even Bertholdt) to watch it, but it's somehow her responsibility for the moment, and thus an egg is... carried around in a satchel. If these things are meant to be combat assisting anyway, this is probably fine.

Annie looks like she decided to show up in black pants, a white hoodie, and a very weird version of bondage gear worn over both. If Ezra'd ever seen one of the Scouts wearing their ODM gear the straps will be familiar; if not, she makes incredibly questionable fashion decisions.

She also has a rectangular wooden box with a handle in one hand and a rucksack over her shoulder holding a jar, extra socks (never... forget... socks, when you're military) and other practicalities. What may seem less practical is the satchel worn sideways across her front. It's the pokemon egg. Being egglike. How this is logical presently evades her.

His outfit... ... is an outfit. To Annie, whose brushing up against forms of organized religion was vastly different from anything Judo-Christian, it's just a different style of coat. Overall, they're both sufficiently mismatched for this place. )

The egg. ( She says, pointing to the satchel on her front. ) It's shell is ridiculously strong.

( ... Right. )

And hello. Is there anything else we need before we head out?

{ THANKFULLY he does know what the pokemon are. he doesn't have one himself, but he watched as jean essentially adopted a skiddle that was enamoured with him. he isn't aware of any of the others wearing the gear for quests yet, annie is his first experience with it, but honestly he just takes it as a weird fashion choice for now.

it's fine, he frequents gay bars a lot. people wear that all the time there. at least his own is mostly black, with the church of providence's emblems on the sleeves. nothing too fancy. }

Y'know, I knew the existed but I haven't seen one. You have to carry it around with you? It doesn't need to like... incubate or anything?

{ not that it matters, he'll wave his hands in front of himself. }

But yo. Nice to meet you. I don't think so. I'm not exactly used to a life of luxury though, so if you aren't used to camping it may be a shock?

( all of AOT is in its gay bar phase and we're proud of them for it.

Annie rests her palm on the top of the satchel, looking a little bemused. puzzled is a good state to be in when it comes to pokemon eggs. )

That's what I would assume, but apparently I'm the donkey. It wants to get walked?

( sure did nothing sitting at home, and it just feels weird leaving it around. weirder than carrying it? apparently not. she shrugs at the question about camping. )

I'm former military. I'm used to roughing it.

( or is she still military? ...

this is it. Annie's claiming her retirement. she hitches her bag a touch higher on her shoulders. )

Any idea how far the airship's drop-off is from our end point?

{ i'd say they are living their best lives but no... no they are not kdsjng

but still, it does look pretty funny. }

How does an egg even know it's being walked?

{ he'll indicate for her to follow though, as he starts walking to board the airship and all. he's done a few trips on this by now so if it's her first time he can give a bit of a tour as well. just a bit. }

Ah, then yeah. Maybe this will be luxury in comparison to that? We'll find out soon enough. This is supposed to be at a campsite though, right? So it may be a bit of a walk to get there.

Magic.

( She says dryly and without pausing a beat.

The airship is designed differently than the ones she has ridden, both on her home world and those smaller ones used for central city transit. She looks around, taking it all in. )

Still feels strange to hear people do this for fun. I suppose that happened back in my world too... just wasn't anything we did.

( Not outside of missions. Eldians weren't allowed to wander around most of the world freely, once they were known as part-Eldian. )

But if it's anything like the military camping I've done, you hike out, set up, and then plan out your rotation. Which for the people here is probably planning out what you're going to do for fun. So probably not the hardest hike.

Camping you mean? Yeah. Most of the time it's about being out with friends. Usually it just involves drinking, maybe playing some games or something--or telling spooky stories! Those come up pretty often too I think.

You've never gone to a campsite just for fun before though? Maybe some other time you'll get to try the fun part on the way there. It doesn't have to be serious the entire time.

{ since the distance is longer though, the airship is bigger to allow for that. they can settle for the time it goes over, and ezra will try and point out a landmark or two. }

( Everything he says makes her wonder how more civilians don't just die when camping. Especially out in the Segments? Why? Is it the thrill? )

No, I've been military all my life.

( Leaving it at that for her whole... explanation. Still, it's easy enough to settle in for the ride... and take in the unfamiliar landscape like she's walked the desert and been dehydrated the whole time. She's flown in a variety of ways now, either in the blimp-airships of home or on Falco's back, but this is an almost peaceful venture, even with the stormclouds she sees on the horizon within Autumn Segment. The more Ezra points out or comments on, the more Annie's likely to ask, part genuine curiosity, part compulsive information gathering.

Journeys have their waystations, and the airship's eventually arrives ~~whenever that timeline is, perhaps even centuries later~~. Then it's a matter of negotiations for next-stage transit, given the distance between the dock and the Maple forest. )

{ to be fair, it's how a lot of horror movies start-

but it's honestly a good question. }

Ah... Well, now we're here, maybe we'll find a spot that isn't dangerous and let you try the casual version of it. It can be pretty fun!

{ it isn't too long to arrive at least, while travelling on foot may take days, it's hours max in the airship. at least after that trip over she'll have a better idea of how things look from above. now they're on the ground and getting close to the destination though, he'll pull off his jacket, the maple trees not too far in the distance now. }

We should probably take a quick break and head over when we're all set up. The camp site should be nearby, but since that's supposedly the danger zone now... we should probably prep before we get there.

{ which means he'll finally ditch his coat, rolling it up to shove it into his backpack and probably finally explaining why he had 0 judgement for what annie is wearing--his own shirt is backless--ensuring that the wing tattoo there is fully on show. }

I... guess. I could try.

( if for a moment she sounds more unsure than she does reluctant, it's because she is. what's... fun? the drinking? the just being around a campsite and not having to prepare for training and drills? the companionship of... friends? annie does a brief mental inventory of those who'd say they're her friend, and comes up with about four names, and two of them are from home.

what's weird is there's more than the two, but people are willing to be friendly even to gloomy persons such as herself.

they arrive sooner than she expected. these flying ships make good time. )

Has the camp site even been previously secured? Against whatever the Maple Forest has living in it?

( the fact this is an issue at all inclines her to believe not, but what does she know? poor administration isn't unique to any one world. she's setting her egg to the side and then pulling the ODM gear out of the travel case to start attaching to her harness, glancing briefly at ezra when his coat goes off and is shoved into his backpack. huh. tattoos. magic? reiner made sure she knew about those.

she pulls the egg's satchel back on, securing the top so that even if she has to suddenly deploy her cables, it'll remain in place. it also makes it look like she's cradling her egg as an infant more or less bound to her chest, but that's fine. this pokemon better appreciate her efforts. )

Are your wings from home or from here?

( reiner's magic tattoo is from this world, and annie is likely to end up getting one herself at some point, but in the interim... )

{ too bad for her he's already decided they are now friends. he'll tone it down if she shows proper discomfort though, as much of an idiot he may be with some things--people are thankfully something he's good at. }

I doubt it, if this had to be put up as a quest. That or it had but one of the wards broke or something--if they even have those here.

{ still, he'll also look at the extras she's put on herself now too and suddenly it makes a hell of a lot more sense. thankfully he doesn't look for long, instead rolling his shoulder for a moment as he tries to warm up a little first. }

Huh? Oh. No. All of mine are from home. I did hear there's something similar here but... these are blessings from angels from back home. I take it your... uh gear is from home as well?

( ezra ensuring her friend count is now up to three, three whole different people from different worlds. she's more uncertain what to do with people's genuine efforts than uncomfortable. it's just not her normal. she's not exactly the cheerful, charismatic sort. )

Am I right in assuming wards are meant to act like barriers themselves? Keeping things out or in... if they exist here.

( a twitch of her lips, acknowledging that all of them are crossing over their home knowledge with the learning curve of what's applicable to this world. )

Mm, Reiner talked about his with me... sounds like a few of the people from my world went in for them. None of them are as intricate as yours as far as I know.

( Levi's might be closest, but she has no idea about that. She'll revisit the idea of magic tattoos again in the coming weeks, but at the present moment, she has nothing equivalent. )

Angels as in heavenly beings, right? ( Keeping other mythologies sorted in her head. Angelic gets used as a term back home too, but it doesn't really carry specific connotations she can point to offhand. Probably does in religions she knows little to nothing about. ) Yeah, via bear delivery.

( such a dry statement. the side effect of that delivery had been a long day of cold showers and general irritability. annie had not asked to be unreasonably horny out of nowhere. )

It'll be more useful in the forest than on the way there. Relying on having things to anchor on makes flat, open spaces more challenging.

( she pats the egg in its satchel, more absently checking its position than trying to be affectionate. )

{ she doesn't have to be the cheerful, charismatic sort--she should meet samson. honestly they're fairly similar in that way. there's some differences, of course, but it is a bit like getting part of his best friend with him. in this way, she's going to get stuck with this now. }

Yeah, exactly like that. Someone I know back home was blessed by an angel that gave him the ability to do that. It'd kind of hide the presence of people as well. But yeah, I read about it at some point. I should look into it, I imagine it doesn't hurt as much as these do anyway. But huh? Oh, yeah. Heavenly beings.

{ ah, another victim of the wish boner... maybe don't trust the shady store in future, annie- }

But that makes sense. It looks kind of complicated but I'll try and keep up as best I can.

{ it makes no sense looking at him now, most likely, but he won't get his wing out until they need it. no point of draining manna for the hell of it. }

Ready?

( She evaluates him for a moment after the comment about tattoos here not hurting as much as the blessed ones do. Sounds typical. Granted, his actually also sound blessed, what with the angels and demons thing, but she could also turn into a giant skinless woman because she inflicted limited self harm, so really. Titan Shifters have nothing to offer in commentary. )

I'll stay grounded until we're dealing with the mantises anyway. I have backup for the fuel, but I'd rather not use it unless I need to.

( That said, she inclines her head to him when he asks if she's ready. )

As I can be. I still can't believe the locals vacation out here...

( And as they head out: )

As far as you know, does this Maple forest or whatever it's called have any unique, weird magical issues of its own?

( Magic. Treat it like a natural disaster. Surely this will make it make sense. )

{ to be fair the 'ink' is also from a crying statue and is essentially liquid manna. it's pretty different to regular ink. but really he hasn't exactly had regular tattoos to compare. every inch of skin is kind of kept on the off chance he gets more blessings in the future. }

Same, same. Really I'd get it closer to the city but this far out seems insane. It's my first time coming to this area as well though, in the past I mostly went to the summer one. We'll have to keep an eye out just in case.

{ at least the walk to the edge of the maple forest isn't far, once they're at the edge and heading inside to find the clearing though he'll give annie a nod. }

The camp site shouldn't be too far in I don't think...

( A statue wept and y'all tattoo'd yourself with it. Annie would not actually be able to say that's too wild considering her home if she knew, but everywhere be wilding. )

It's still far enough from the Darkness people must mistake themselves as safe.

( She hums acknowledgement, rolling her shoulders back a touch. She studies the the woods they're passing through, then abruptly goes still. In the middle distance part of a cabin roof is visible, but that's not why she's paused. The mantises aren't as large as many of the Titans she's dealt with, but they're much more a natural part of their environment.

And she's just spotted two moving slowly and carefully through the trees they seem to tend, turning their attention toward the campgrounds. Where's the third? She gestures for Ezra to lean closer, mostly because he's taller than she is (why is everyone tall) and she's speaking in a murmur that should carry to him but not across the entirety of the distance to the visible mantises. )

Two southwest of our position. Can you see a third?

{ can he at least say that originally his first set of that was from gabriel directly forcing it on him, not a needle? because... yeah if that hadn't happened maybe he'd be living blissfully unaware and not inking himself up with this still- }

Likely, but anywhere out here should be dangerous compared to the city.

{ he'll at least peer over at her when she indicates, leaning down as requested before he finally spots what she sees (unfortunately while he can react well, he is not the most observant...) }

Shit. Okay let's--

{ it's not seeing it this time that gets his attention, considering it comes from behind them this time but there's a rustle of the trees leaves before he's grabbing annie by the shoulders to spin her out of the way and getting cut on the shoulder himself. }

...Guess we found the third.

( Any movement she would have taken is interrupted when she's grabbed and spun around, leaving the strike from the third mantis to come down with a glancing hit to Ezra's shoulder. Annie curses, wrapping an arm around Ezra's waist and shoving him backward before she manages to shoot the grappling cable out of her other hand's grip, dragging him along with her as the recoiling pulls them both suddenly and sharply out of the mantis's path.

All three are clearly already agitated and ready to thrown down at anyone moving in the area, the one that'd lashed out lifting both scythe-like forearms in a clear threat. Only a strange, breathy call from the other two turns it away, and it scuttles on creepily silent feet toward the rest of its group, moving on the cabin and the wood kept by the fire surely near there. )

Well isn't that great. How's your shoulder?

( Letting go and abruptly starting to jog after the mantises, listening for an answer even if she doesn't appear to be waiting for one. If she needs the speed her gear can give her, so be it. The mantises aren't yet moving as lightly as Titans of the same size, but they were more solid too, and she doesn't know what their armor will be like under her blades.

Also, there's no sound of civilians screaming, so it's likely this particular cabin and site isn't one of the ones more dangerous for these creatures to be around. They have time, if that's all true. )

{ it isn't too deep, at least, and while it stings he can live with it. annie's shorter than he is, that could have very well have been her head instead. he yelps as she grabs him in return, her gear pulling them out of harms way. }

It's not that bad, really! { even though he's wincing, he can live with it. } Promise next time I'll be ready enough to use a shield.

{ while he runs he's already summoning camael's chain from his arm, his arm glowing gold as the handle seems to materialise from the skin itself. }

If we get on top of the cabin it'll make them easier to fight. Probably.

( ... Right, her own shield. Annie leaves off activating the Safety Pin for now, since she's not fully sure how well it works covering herself and someone else. As it is, there's not a lot of time to think and plan, just to move. )

I'll meet you up there.

( She says, and then she's deploying her cables into the trees and is up off the ground in a whirring rush of sound and motion. Jamming the hilts down onto the blades at her thighs, Annie descends on one of the mantises and aims for the joint at the back of the head, slamming down with both blades and gouging through. Then angle seems right, but she can feel the resistance even at the joint, and knows she'd need more momentum and force for severing.

Manipulation of cables leads to her touching down on the cabin's rooftop, slowing her run to its peak and whipping around to face the direction the uninjured mantises are coming from. Sure, she didn't manage to kill the first one yet, but it is significantly injured enough not to be doing more than flailing around where it'd been hit.

Also, she just punctured multiple trees doing this. Annie has become Maple Mantis Most Wanted all in about a minute. One charges the cabin roof, and she's already off again, baiting both into trailing after her and scything their front arms at the sky. GET DOWN HERE AND DIE FOR HARMING THEIR WOOD, WOODPECKER THING! )

{ his own is a different one to the safety pin--but barachiel can still offer something when he needs it. }

Sure. { he may not know how her gear fully works, but there's some understanding of it from how she pulled them back before. his own movements take less effort as he runs towards the mantises. when he's paces behind though it slows to a walk, the wing at his back expanding out and letting his feet lift off the ground gracefully. it's a lot less of a destructive start than annie begins, but it's probably a strange sight to see when he finally rises up to tower above them all. his right hand reaches for his left arm, pulling the chain whip he summons from inside. }

Hey, ugly. Up here too, don't forget about me.

{ it's the only warning before that chain whips through the air though, swinging around the one's neck that annie injured to use as an achor until he can pull himself in. it helps him pick up speed, essentially soaring through the air until he flies past it, that wing at his back cutting through the same spot annie hit before. at first it isn't enough, but as he keeps flying forward while gripping onto the chain the final tug as he flies too far to make it reach its tether is enough to snap it off. }

( This is why a safety-pin will be in his future. Just, well, weeks away and for other, related reasons.

Annie hits a tree with the bottoms of her boots and adjusts her trajectory out, catching some of how Ezra moved and making a mental note about the wing being multi-functional. Possibly some property of what it was, tattoo-and-blessing wise.

What's more relevant is the decapitation of one Mantis, right as she launches one of her grappling hooks right into another Mantis, puncturing through its exoskeleton. It allows her to arc over the range of its long, scythe-like arms and come down with force on the juncture of its head and neck, this time cutting through completely while her one cable retracts and she jumps back off the twitching creature, starting to collapse onto the ground.

The problem isn't with the two now dead Mantises. It's not even with the third that Annie is blocking a strike from even as she's changing direction and pulling herself back out of reach. No. The problem is the third Mantis slams a leg down into the banked fire where wood had been burning and sends sparks flying into the air, which are then caught and pulled further along by the breezes winding their way through the forest.

This will not be a noticeable problem for a good five minutes yet. But it will end up being a reason for a larger number of Mantises to show up in defense of their forest trees if those sparks, now settling partly onto the dried grasses around the cabin, don't end up snuffed out.

The third Mantis lashes out with one arm in the direction Annie swings past in, hitting the ground with both feet and running immediately to keep momentum, balance, and her knees happy; lashes out with the other arm in Ezra's direction, objecting to both of these horrible things and all the dangers its wood faces. )

{ everything is fine, annie, in fact his shoulder has probably half healed already by now. the blood drying to his skin as he moves through the air. some of it will stick to the front part of his top but he's clearly not bothered about it at the moment while he's stuck on thinking of how to keep them both safe.

luckily, despite not seeing the fire, the sound of smell of sparks and smoke from the mantis hitting the fire is enough to draw ezra's attention. summer's powers is a blessing here, since he can control that from spreading too far--but also control where it goes. }

Don't get too close to it!

{ ezra's right hand reaches up to swing the chain up and around the mantis' arm, the chain wrapping around to hold it in place. his left hand spreads out as he concentrates and suddenly that fire will bulge. it doesn't go for the forest itself, but seems to crawl up from the ground and up along the mantis' body itself. it takes merely seconds before it is engulfed in flame. }

( Annie's own Summer control is far weaker, being far more new: she doesn't try when she sees the flames responding in a way that doesn't align with nature. In fact, she shoots a cable higher into the trees and perches there on a branch, out of his way in the moment and scanning the forest for anything else incoming.

There, there, and there. Fine. Looks like a mantis party.

Annie's cable punctures the flaming mantis as she swings back down and decapitates it in a smooth motion, hitting the ground running after and gesturing in two directions. )

At least three more incoming, and I think there's a second set behind them! Can you kill the flames?

( The blaze is already beyond her ability to quell right now, though she has enough ability to render flames temporarily harmless to herself. )

{ to be fair he's been here 2-3 months and still only has a handle of some of the basics. he is not the best guide for this. the fire part though, that he has down well enough for this.

that mantis goes down and the fire gets snuffed out this time, smoke rising in the air from the wood that was set aflame before. while controlling the flames the wing at his back will fade away. }

Done. I uh... can't do anything about that though.

{ he indicates to the smoke. }

Maybe if we stomp on it?

( It'd help if they had more of the usual campfire suppression equipment around: dirt in buckets, sand, things like that. Annie jogs over while keeping a mental calculation on the speed of the mantises running in the back of her mind, kicking some dirt up onto one of the larger smoking parts of wood. It does technically help cut down on the amount of smoke it's issuing.

Somewhat.

But the sounds of large bodies moving through undergrowth are right on them again, so she's using her cables to get back up to higher ground, pushing off one tree and then another as she hits them to reposition as two more mantises enter the clearing, both aiming straight for the smoking cabin. )

Can you see anything like a bucket around here?!

( She calls out as she heads into another dive, the mantis's sudden shift in position meaning she slices through the joint of an arm instead of its neck. Annie flips herself out of the way of its other arm, cable shooting into the mantis's thorax to help her swing around and shoot off in another direction, avoiding the second mantis's attempt to cut her out of the air. )

A bucket?

{ annie's running and zipping around like crazy, while ezra stands in on the spot, turning in circles as he squints to see around the smoke. }

Where am I supposed to find a bucket?!

{ she's doing okay at the moment, but he'll get closer to the cabin to start going through the camp supplies that had been left behind. there's a mug, some spoons, a deep pan and an ...egg? }

Would a big pan work?!

{ honestly he probably shouldn't be staying on the ground while the mantises are still trying to murder them, but he has an easier chance of getting out of the way since he doesn't have to rely on wires. annie will see him step back into the clearing, one hand holding a big pan, the other... a pokemon egg. 😔 }

( Annie isn't able to answer until she's finished taking down the mantis she relieved of a limb, using her cables to tangle up the legs of the second one momentarily as she whips past, grimacing.

Her blades catch and slide along the scythe-arm of the mantis when it falls and lashes out, and she's doing a short cable lift into the air before she shoots both into the mantis and drives down again, cutting through the neck joint once more. She lands, flecked with mantis ichor, and sees... )

Are you... you found an egg?!

( Still, she's racing over to snag the pan and not even bothering to gather dirt in it. She just flat out slams the pan down over the largest smoking section, trying to suffocate the flames. )

How does a dedicated camp site have no fire safety measures!?

{ honestly they probably should have switched places but since annie is here now, he can finally see why she needed a bucke--

or not.

his eyes go wide as she grabs the pan and starts hitting the smoke with it. }

Oh. And uh yeah this was just left on the side. I'll just shove it in my bag for now. { pretty much while she's hitting the smoke away actually. } But I guess the people here didn't take camping very seriously.

{ he is going to leave his backpack by the cabin itself though, rather than trying to fly around with it. they don't have the time for him to figure that out better than before. }

You said more were on the way? Do you remember which direction?

( What's probably as absurd is the pan-suffocation actually works to some degree. Annie leaves the pan to continue its best efforts in breath-play, grimacing and wiping the back of a wrist over her forehead. A streak of ash marks her skin, but it does get rid of some of the sweat beading there. )

Neither camping nor pokemon eggs.

( It's no direct match to the one she's carrying, but it has a similar shape and size, regardless. A question to examine later. Maybe a pokemon just... laid it? )

Two were coming from there, and another two spread out but arriving from that side of the clearing...

( The one that'd been part of the group of the two most recently slain mantises comes bursting out of the foliage and waves its scythe-like arms around. )

Yeah. That way.

( She says, running forward and sending a cable flying to embed in a nearby tree, starting up another momentum-gathering cycle before she attempts to decapitate or incapacitate the most recent mantis arrival. )

You wouldn't happen to want twins, would you?

{ ezra don't make annie a single mother of two. one is enough. 😔 }

But yeah, we can find out what to do with that later. Two from--oh.

{ and then annie is off. he barely has a chance to notice they're there before she's running again. } Shit. Okay.

{ while annie goes up this time he stays closer to the ground. he resummons the chainwhip, this time flinging it until it wraps tight around its legs to trip it up while annie is up there decapitating the thing. it may flail a bit more because of it, but at least it isn't aiming for her when there's a pest on the floor as well. he grits his teeth and then concentrates on the palm of his hand, willing fire to appear again but forcing it into the shape of a sword--something that can be thrust right into its leg. }

( For about as much time as she can spare, Annie shoots Ezra the flattest look. Single Mom Annie is denying any accusations of motherhood. )

Finders keepers.

( He's an Egg Daddy now.

Right. His fire makes her remember what she's been working on, and instead of fire, she concentrates on telekinetically shielding herself: it actually deflects dirt sent flying up by the mantis as it hits the ground. If it would do more, she's not planning to test in the field as anything but a last resort.

It means she touches down safely, checks on Ezra with a glance, and is ready for the sixth mantis this afternoon: slightly larger than the rest, it pauses on the outskirts of the cabin clearing.

Then, seeing any fire in Ezra's hand, comes charging like an angry bull right for him. Shit. )

Ezra! Incoming!

( Annie manages to get one of her cables launched and thrust into one of the larger legs, but it's a small injury and she's left running at an angle after the thing before she can shoot her second cable and try to use the combined angles to pull the mantis off stride, sending it stumbling down before it reaches Ezra. )

{ they can come back to the eggs once this is over. for now though the fire itself doesn't engulf the mantis, just focus on burns and injuring the one area until it topples over backwards, crashing into the trees it loves so much.

as soon as he hears annie's voice though he whips around, summoning his chain whip at the same time so that he can fling it towards the section that seems more fragile, holding its head in place. he yanks the chain tight, holding it in place with his right hand while his left hand reaches out towards the air, willing a massive sword shaped flame hold before it comes crashing down into where the chain is holding this thing to decapitate it properly. }

( With the final head hitting the ground, Annie stands there, intently listening for any other creatures coming. With the smoke having died down, and the fire used by Ezra not doing any extended burning, there's less of a draw to this particular campsite than before.

She holds herself still, then points to herself and up, briefly running at then pulling herself up and up into the trees, perching up high enough to survey what's around. Nothing else in the vicinity that she can see is moving like the mantises. She doubts that's the last in the whole forest, but it's very likely at this point they've cleared out the nine who'd been in the nearby region.

She makes it back down to the ground at speed and with perhaps a surprising amount of grace, swords reholstered, cables retracting to rest at her sides as they had been originally. )

Was there some number of these things we were supposed to thin out? I don't see any evidence of more groups in the immediate area.

{ while annie heads up, ezra starts looking around the site itself to see if anyone had been left behind and hid in the cabin, checking for whatever else may have been left behind. all fires are made to disappear and he finally takes a deep breath once he's checked around and no one seems to have been left behind. }

I don't think so, they just said any that are in the area I think. These types of quests tend to be reoccurring though, like some may turn up here in a few days or something. They probably really should set up wards here.

( She sighs, but doesn't find what he says so odd really. )

Those things are native to the forest. If they want to keep them from doing this over and over, they absolutely should be setting up wards.

( A pause, and she wonders: )

Think anyone sells wards like that back in Nightwake? It seems like that's a form of magic that shouldn't be limited to Otherworlders.

{ he shrugs }

If they do I don't know about it. I think I remember seeing Riki's shop having something like it, but I'm pretty sure that shop's just for people like us.

Huh.

( So strange to her. Unless... )

Maybe he has a line for the locals too?

Possibly? We could always ask... for now though, let's just do another sweep around to check if anyone is here but injured then we can head back?

{ it's a long enough trip out here and he doesn't have a teleport crystal yet so they do have to journey back. }

Of course.

( Meaning she's heading into a jog to check the perimeter of this area, ignoring all the dead giant mantises they have. On the other hand, are they supposed to haul those heads back? Ugh. maybe they can take a mandible from each head?

She shoves that thought to the side and looks for signs of people being here recently. There are footprints she catches sight of, but they're not as crisp as hers or Ezra's, so are less recent. No signs of blood that didn't belong to one of the two of them either, or the far more plentiful mantis blood.

By the time she rounds back to him, she's shaking her head. )

Didn't see recent signs at this camp. Unless we want to trek through the woods for a while looking for people, we... ... ... do we need to take parts off these things as proof or will they send people out to drag them off?

What do you mean?

{ his own search has proven to be fruitless, but at least he now has his backpack slumped over his shoulder, the actual backpack part facing forwards from himself, rather than on his back. }

We can just take photos, right?

{ he'll pull his phone out, twist around so he gets annie in the frame, as well as the many mantises behind them both. } I didn't see signs anyone was still here though. Everything must have been abandoned when these guys turned up.

( Annie's expression in his photo is a little confused, head cocked just slightly to the side, because...

... she'd forgotten the phones take photographs. Photography isn't strange, it's just the easy way to take photographs by phone that has completely flown out of her head after all this time shoving new information in. The fact she's been using it regularly to pay people or to send text messages and not, you know, making many calls or anything video, and completely not taking any photos, is...

... Okay, she can't believe she forgot all about that. Heading back to Ezra, she gestures for him to show her what he took with his phone. )

I completely forgot we could do that with these things. ( Mismatched technologies...! ) I think you're right. We're lucky there weren't people around to have to keep out of harms way, especially with these things roaming in packs.

{ if it's new it makes sense. he's from a world where phones are the norm. nothing used here on them is different to come. he shrugs at her statement, tucking his phone away after. }

No problem. It isn't any different for me from home so it's easier to remember. But yeah, at least now we can just let them figure out how to clear this up. Let's head back? I guess we could do the quicker route if you wanna get back faster too. We should be able to use the teleportation crystal instead. It's just good to do the airship at least once, y'know?

... You mean we could have teleported out here?!

( Not to the Maple Forest or whatever it's called, but she gives him such a look of absolute baffled confusion leaning toward irritation, he might want to... start walking. )

The city's lousy with airships for getting around already!

{ he has the gall to just laugh, sorry annie. }

Yeah I'm pretty sure they added crystals near the air stations, I didn't realise at first and I haven't used them yet on my own so I could be wrong.

{ he hasn't been here THAT much longer than her- }

( she literally throws her hands up and walks away, she's been using the stupid in city crystals for weeks! weeks!!! )

No more scenic route unless we need a break!

( ... so yes they can airship at other times. )

{ he does, at least, look sheepish when she seems to be annoyed by all of this. }

Sure, sure! I'm not complaining about that. Honestly I figured it'd give us a chance to get to know each other on the way over, it's easier to fight alongside someone then, right?

( She just shoots him a look back over her shoulder. )

Easier than suggesting you want to do that first?

( She'd probably be inclined to have asked why, so ironically, he had the best approach for Annie. Don't say anything, just make it The Plan. )

I didn't put that much thought into it honestly.

{ honestly is she even going to question that.............. }

... You're a little bit of an idiot, aren't you?

( She doesn't even sound like she means this rudely. The words are rude, but the tone is more. Mystified. )

{ he stares at her flatly }

I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to say that to someone's face. At least without knowing each other a while first.

{ he pauses, then: }

But I guess we did just go through something.

Uh-huh. You may have noticed I'm not the most tactful person in the world.

( She can be more tactful when needed. Probably. Annie usually opts for silence over tact, but that's because she's blunt from her perspective. Nowhere near always right, just depressingly often right for shitty reasons.

Those don't apply at present. )

Idiots might be the ones who shake up the world most, so you've got that going for you.

{ he laughs at that }

Maybe not. But it does remind me of someone I know back home.

{ but her later comment has him gazing at the floor rather than her as he walks. }

And I dunno about that. I guess only time will tell, huh?

( She'll keep her gaze up, aware of their surroundings. )

Yeah. Time usually does.

( And that's fine, all things told. At least they can make it safely to the stupid crystal and be back in the city faster than they can say "wait does this take touch energy or magical energy to work because if so I need to coexist in someone's physical space again, dammit." )

[Around his birthday, Ezra would have found gift on his doorstep - specifically it's a leather jacket that he's customized by hand.
Chipp did say he'd be getting him exactly that, after all!!

Packaged with it is a little Tupperware container full of brownies, everything all wrapped up to hopefully keep them warm... he finished baking them just a few minutes before he left the house. Nice and toasty just for the birthday boy.]

{ even if chipp had already told him his plan it still feels like a Lot when he receives the gift anyway. it's clear a lot of thought and effort went into it.

chipp will receive a text thanking him in return, along with a promise to take care of the jacket. }

[Ezra received a package of a choker with an opal pendant. The note above it says "DO NOT WEAR".

A note beside the note says.]

"This is a limiter I got when I attended school. It can suppress a god's form. Take it to the Research Center to study, you might be able to figure out how to help your friend.

Just don't wear it.

- Loki Laevatein"

Edited 2025-07-30 18:35 (UTC)

{ honestly he'd forgotten most of the conversation until he went back and reread it, but seeing the object now he's surprised the guy went through with it. he has no idea what a limiter is, but he'll follow the instructions.

along with sending on the message. }

Hey, it's Ezra. Thanks for the limiter, I'll make sure no one tries to wear it when I take it to the research centre too!

[Loki seems frustrated. It has been longer than the estimated time and yet there is no change at all. None. Nada. Loki waves to Annie when she arrives for "shift" change.]

Still nothing. I swear I'll smack him senseless when he finally emerges.

[The flower behind him just moved a little without him noticing.]

( Annie is visibly displeased and anxious, in part because she's not bothering to disguise it. Today's treat is...

... donuts, again, but these ones are fancier. She stopped by a different store this time, in need of a distraction on top of whatever else has been going on. )

Won't help, he'd need sense in the first place.

( She shoves the half-dozen box at Loki, jerking her head around when she detects further movement from the flower. Not just a breeze passing by, or a storm, or the sun beating down hot enough to make it bow. It moved. )

We've got movement.

{ unknown to ezra he's just left one battlefield to enter another.

the flower starts to blossom out, changing being a bud to showing the flower itself. since it's a rose it doesn't expand too far outside the normal, but the white petals do shake a few times before it seems to be ready to spew ezra out onto the floor.

he lands face down, shirtless and exhausted but seemingly healed from whatever he went through both here and at home. he lifts himself up, only just noticing loki and annie both sat there eating donuts (apparently???) and blinks a few times. }

Um... hi?

{ his head is a mix of home and here, pls excuse him for that much. }

[At the news of the flower moving, Loki turns around -- but also starts eating a donut because dayum delicious.

Besides he can still smack the back of his head with one hand, it's fine.]

You're late you idiot.

[Welcome back.]

( Loki reaches him first, so Annie opts for the narrowed eyed glare. Fucker. )

Three days late.

( She, too, is eating a donut. Now that Loki has the box she can't even toss it at Ezra's head, which is for the better, as it would have been unfair to the donuts. )

You were scaring the hell out of us.

{ honestly he hadn't expected anyone to be here when he woke up again, so even if they're both mad (rightly so) he feels grateful that they care enough to be there to berate him for it.

being late or dying or whatever else it is. }

Sorry... { his face twists then, a mix of apologetic and sad. } I guess I fucked up here and back home.

{ he holds his hands out in front of himself, clenches them a few times before his eyes drop to the new marking on his chest and it's a reminder that yup. he did die back there. sunny is still avoiding him (if giving yourself in to the church and being locked away in a cell in the vatican away from him counts as that) and he was fighting beelzebub, had just destroyed him and then--

oh right. }

Neither of you would happen to have a spare shirt with you, would you?

Back home, too? What, did you go home or something?

[He wasn't aware that was actually possible, actually.]

Even if I had a spare shirt it wouldn't fit you. But it's the Summer Segment, do you really need one?

( Annie stands, puking her hoodie off over her head with practiced ease. She's basically had one go to outfit for years

She also doesn't wander around with ready clothing changes if not questing. She holds the garment out, knowing that it being loose on her means it should fit him, er. Exactly )

What the fuck happened, Ezra?

Yeah, seems like it.

{ and loki has a point, but samson has thrown enough shirts and jackets at him he's willing to recognise going back to the city without a shirt is probably a bit inappropriate. he'll take the hoodie from annie with a thanks, but won't pull it on just yet. mostly because he needs this to sink in. }

I died. Not just here, I mean. Back home. ...And then I was eaten by Beelzebub.

{ honestly it isn't that different to here, right- }

[Even if Loki's finished his donut now, he kicks Ezra (not as roughly as he could) on his leg. More of a "Dumbass" gesture than anything.]

Idiot. Stop getting eaten by things.

What he said.

( Annie deadeyes Ezra, because first her eyes widened in shock at the double devouring. And the three deaths. Like seriously she hopes she misunderstood that. )

Okay, but how the hell are you coming back after dying and being eaten? You're not dead-dead back home now are you?

{ he sighs }

This time really wasn't my fault! Beelzebub isn't exactly like other creatures, so I managed to get back out again. And then... I guess I got my powers back?

{ he missed the part where beelzebub ate the manna out of his arm and left him a bloody mess, as well as escaping that the first time. the second time was more important. }

I only died once... and somehow Sunny brought me back to life by uh... blessing me?

{ he sure does point to his chest where there is now an extra symbol on his skin now, but he will finally pull on the hoodie annie is lending him after. it's uh. tight. but it'll do for now. }

inbox

action, post-Cinder thread

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that is such a cute icon of her... i love reptiles weh

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「random english」

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