wildsaber | 01 ♪ video/action ♪ wake up sleepyhead!

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01 ♪ video/action ♪ wake up sleepyhead!

[The feed shows a nice view of absolutely nothing. There is, however, the sound of someone spitting. Very lovely. He just woke up with a mouthful of dead rotting leaves. His day is off to a great freaking start, that's what.]

Ugh, nasty! Ow--... ow... ow. [Don't let the nonchalance fool you. He's realizing he's alive. Taking in a deep breath, and letting it out.

He's alive.

... And also FREEZING COLD. But wait until he finds a way home! This is impossible, but maybe-- just maybe--]

Hahah... jeez, it's c-c-cold. Am I in K-Keterburg or something?

-- Hey, what's...

[And here's when he brushes the journal off. Hello, there's a half-naked redhead getting up close and personal, and turning it upside down, and then shaking it out a bit. What is this strange and mystifying technology? It sure as hell isn't his journal.]

Weird.

[Feeling something tickle his shoulder, he reaches over to brush it off. And then he notices the wings, red with gold tips just like his hair. He has wings. This is not a drill. Luke drops the journal in favor of screaming like the grown man he isn't.]

W-what the hell is going on!?

[NO LUKE DON'T PULL ON THOSE--] —OW! [Yeah, that hurt more than anything else in his life. Now he's curled up over his knees again, trying not to cry. He almost blacked out there.]

G-guess they're real...

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Yes, it has been. [But there's nothing in his voice to imply he thinks of it as a bad thing. Though it's true not a day goes by where he doesn't miss Auldrant, Luceti is where he's found a home.]

And the calender is a bit strange, but I've gotten used to it. They only have twelve months, and even the days of the week are different. But most of the people here come from worlds that utilize this one, so we're the odd ones out I'm afraid.

It sounds like you know a lot. Do you think--

[He pauses, then he colors a bit more. Obviously he's embarrassed by this request.]

Sorry. Could you teach me about it? When I'm a little more settled in, I mean. And... if you have the time.

Of course, Luke. You don't even need to ask.

[There was still a lot more about Luceti to cover than just the calender, but along with that, it would probably be for the best to wait until he's settled in a little. Or at the very least, for when he's inside and warm and not sitting out in the cold by himself.]

If you'd like, I could show you around the village sometime? It may be small, but there's still plenty to see.

Really?

[Of course there's a lot more than that, but Luke doesn't want to pester Ion too much. And he thought it'd be fun to learn something together, seeing as they're both replicas... and had to go through some similar stuff.]

Y-- yeah! I'd like that a lot.

[Nonsense -- Ion's probably going to be pestering Luke a bit himself for awhile. He missed his replibro!]

Though I imagine the first place you'll see should probably be the clothing shop. Everything in the village is free, so you don't have to worry about needing to borrow anything from Guy or Jade.

[Or Ion, but the mental image of Luke wearing something of Ion's is kinda ridiculous ~~dem flowy tunics and mandresses~~.]

[REPLIBROS FOREVER. He's so happy, the embarrassment of accidentally calling him Florian momentarily forgotten. Because Ion.]

Ergh, I'd end up swimming in whatever I borrowed from them.

[He's still sore about his height.]

Why is it free?

[He'll be even more sore about it when he meets Ion face-to-face and learns they're almost the same height now. He can't help but chuckle at Luke's reaction, though unfortunately, the explanation for his next question is a bit more somber. Most of the explaining will probably happen later, but he can at least answer a few questions. It'll keep Luke distracted until the others find him.]

Well, I'm afraid there's a bit more to it than to simply say we're here in another world. Luceti itself is actually the name of the enclosure we're in, and the ones keeping us here are an organization called the Malnosso. They may not be the reason we were brought to this world, but they are the reason we can't leave the village.

[... Yep, that's gonna make him feel lots better. :|

Luke pays attention when Ion's tone shifts. What he's saying is serious, and it's the truth (because Ion is incapable of lying, everyone knows that). So, if they're prisoners, then... yeah, there's not really any point in charging for stuff.

But that doesn't mean he likes what he hears. He grits his teeth for a moment.

No. A second chance is still a second chance. It's not borrowed time. He's not going to make it like that.]

The Malnosso...

[He lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.]

How much do you know about them?

A fair amount. But from what I've been told about the years before I arrived here, they've gotten better as time has moved on. Their biggest fault lies in never knowing how much we can trust them, since they've done little to gain that trust in the first place.

[There's a bitterness in his voice that he's trying to suppress, but it may very come out anyway. Back on Auldrant, Ion wouldn't have been able to say he ever truly hated anyone. That wasn't exactly true anymore.]

It wouldn't be entirely accurate to call them an enemy, though it would certainly be a stretch to consider us equals as allies.

[... Wow, Ion never even talked about Mohs like that. Luke blinks, but doesn't say anything about it. After all, they're in the same situation and Luke is pissed too.]

Why keep us here like this? It's not like we're a threat to them.

[Not unless they made it so.]

We've been told part of it is because the world outside of the enclosure isn't safe. And from what little we've been allowed to see outside, that much appears to be true. [That is, there is truth in how dangerous the outside world is -- the iffy part is whether or not they're truly safe here. It's hard to believe that to be the case following the invasion this past summer.]

[But the third-party still isn't really a topic Ion is comfortable talking about, so Luke will just have to hear about them from elsewhere.]

Unfortunately, the larger truth seems to be that we're here for them to test their experiments, using a technology they call shifts. They're not always bad, but... they are something of an unpleasant fact of life here.

[Awkward would be a better word to describe them. So much awkward.]

But still...

[He doesn't push, thankfully. However, the mention of experiments makes Luke's expression darken.]

They're experimenting on people?

Yes. Though as far as experiments go, they're rather unorthodox. To be honest, I'm not sure I even fully understand how it is they're able to do some of the things they do.

[He's not even sure the malnosso fully understand how it is they're able to do what they do. If they did, there wouldn't be as much need to experiment, right?]

In the past, they've been able to do things like temporarily changing a person's age or gender, turn people into animals, or cause them to suddenly appear and disappear in various locations throughout the village. At the very least, they never last more than a week, and are usually more embarrassing than dangerous.

[Like that time Ion turned into a girl for a week and no one noticed. That was fun.]

That's...!

[That kind of stuff should be impossible, but he's in a whole other world. Alive. With wings.

He can definitely suspend disbelief for a little while.]

... Ugh. At least I know what to look forward to. If I ever see one of these guys, I'm gonna give them a piece of my mind.

I'm sure you're not the only one who feels that way.

[Even Ion shares that sentiment, to a certain degree.]

But even with the experiments, life here isn't so bad. All of the villagers here are so kind, and I've been able to meet so many people who I would have never gotten the opportunity to meet otherwise.

[Not to mention, he's alive here. But hopefully that's implied.]

[Yeaaah, Luke's in the same boat. He's not sure he can say it just yet, but...]

If we could just break their control somehow, I think it would be a lot better. But... that's not really something we can do right now.

...no, perhaps not.

[Though there's still a lot more to the situation -- things Ion knows it wouldn't be wise to say over the journal, where the Malnosso can see their conversation.]

I know it's an awful lot to take in, but it should get easier over time. At the very least, I'm sure some things will be easier to explain in person.

[You know, once Guy gets there and drags Luke back to House One so they can ~~have a tearful reunion and hug it out~~ discuss manly things in a manly fashion.]

Yeah... [He runs a hand through his bangs, briefly tugging them away from his face.] One thing at a time, right?

[He smiles then, just letting it sink in that Ion is back. Ion's back, he's safe and alive, and he's just the way Luke remembered. Except maybe a little taller but he doesn't know that yet.

Whatever. Second chances all around.]

I'll be there soon. Then we can catch up or... something.

I'd really like that. [It might also help it to sink in more once they actually see each other again -- for both of them.]

I'll see you when you arrive here, then.

[Which basically means he'll be waiting around House One's living room for Luke to get there, trying to read a book or something to distract himself. He's really missed having his replibro around okay.]

[When Luke appears, he's been accosted by the clothing fairy, wearing some approximation of a big white coat and a pair of shoes. It's a good thing, too. He's somewhat dirty, having basically been rolling around in mud and snow for those first few minutes of his new life.]

I'm back, [he calls out as some kind of hello. He can barely believe it himself. He drops the jacket on a nearby chair so he's topless again; his wings are poofy and impatient at being pinned, and they tickle his arms a little. He rubs his hands along his arms to warm them, and that's when he sees Ion sitting there like he belonged.

He hesitates. Now it's really sinking in. All of his long-since-swallowed grief and guilt wells up at once, clamoring up his throat and making it impossible to speak-- only stare.]

[Luke won't have long to look at Ion sitting there on the couch, because as soon as he hears Luke's voice, he's on his feet and headed towards the door.]

[The changes in Ion are far more pronounced in person -- he's traded a good deal of weight for a few extra inches of height, making him only just a little bit shorter than Luke while giving him that lanky-teenager appearance. Not to mention Luke's probably never seen Ion dressed so casually before ~~#npc problems~~. But the smile on his face is still very much the same one he always had back on Auldrant.

[Luke's not the only one at a loss for words -- somehow everything Ion can think of just sounds silly or cheesy. What do you say to a friend who last saw you when you were dying in his arms?]

...hello, Luke. It's... really good to see you again.

[Luke is happy, it's in his eyes, but he's also incredibly moved. Tears well up even though he doesn't ask for them. Thankfully, it's not as bad as it was earlier.]

Ion!

[This time, he can greet Ion with a big smile, even if it hurts a bit at the edges. This is way better than meeting in the afterlife. He takes a step forward and pulls his friend into a tight hug, his face immediately going for Ion's shoulder. He's warm and solid and real. He isn't going to disappear in Luke's arms anytime soon.]

[Ion's breath hitches in his throat when he's pulled into a hug, and for a few seconds he doesn't even seem to react. But as realization sinks in, his arms move to return the embrace. He even takes care not to brush against Luke's wings, well aware of just how sensitive they are for new arrivals.]

[As much as he feels he should say something, he can't seem to find the words. And certainly, even if he had them, they'd only get caught in his throat. Ion never really cried much back on Auldrant, but at a time like this, even he can't help but get a little choked up right now.]

[They'll probably be hugging it out for a little while here, but Ion certainly doesn't mind. They've got lost time to make up for, after all.]

[His fingers tighten in the back of Ion's shirt, beneath his wings. While he's not hugging tight enough to hurt, there's something undeniably clingy about the way he's holding his friend, like he won't let anything touch him. If he's trembling a little, it's not really a big deal.]

I-I thought I'd never seen you again.

[Ion can feel it. It was a familiar sort of hug, and it made him all too aware of the fact that Luke was the one hugging him like this. That slight waver in his voice feels like a vice grip on his heart.]

I know. I'm-- [Sorry. He almost says it. And maybe before, he would have done so. But he catches himself; he shouldn't apologize for dying.] I know. I... I missed you.

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lights! camera! [action]!

[action]!

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/WOW LATE FOREVER HI

I AM HERE!!!! /RIPS OFF SHIRT ... PUTS IT BACK ON

/just drowns in replica feelings

/gurgles

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