.# heart sigh

The sound of his feet on the pavement is the only thing that seems familiar at this point – the world is far too dark, and occasionally he can hear the sound of many feet scuttling far too close for comfort. But each time he swings his candle about (carefully, so carefully) to get a better view, the source retreats.

And suddenly, a sound. A voice? Speaking words – he immediately turns his head towards the source and carefully approaches, eager to set his candle down and rest. It’s safe? It’s safe. Thank GOD, a promise of safety. And if it’s a farce, he has a lit candle and a heart already beating with the eagerness to run. Better than stumbling blindly around in the dark, ignorant of all others.

Al crouches by the indicated wall, which thankfully exists for him as well. It’s riddled with gunfire and blue-tinted blood, but it’s safe for now. He sets the tall candle in its candlestick down and lets himself slump against the worn bricks.

“Thanks.” His voice is hoarse, or maybe it’s naturally raspy, who knows. “I didn’t see you at all, not sure how you saw me.” Perhaps he isn’t aware of the situation? But then, how could he be? He can’t see people scaling invisible walls or treading invisible water.

She peers at the man curiously. Her initial guess seems to have been on the mark -- a weird world indeed, he must be seeing. From the way he walks, it’s as if he can’t see what’s in front of him at all. As if he’s just taking her word for it. If it wasn’t for the current turn of events... well, Aurica would probably have avoided someone acting so strange.

She smiles, though -- hoping to reassure him. “Um... it’s no problem. This might sound weird, but...” She turns her head to one side, tucking a strand of hair behind one ear as she considers how to explain the situation in the least frightening way possible. “This world has gotten super freaky, right? But I don’t think everyone is in the same one right now. You have that candlestick, and I’ve seen people doing really weird things... like passing through walls as if there isn’t anything in the way, things like that.”

(( @execlinca ))

Search and rescue. It’s her first priority once she escapes that first monster attack - to protect the weak and the innocent and ensure that they survive whatever is happening to the city.

She’s going from building to building, or at least whichever buildings she can access, being careful not to set off the traps that seem to have been laid around the city specifically for her to get caught by, or to get attacked by any of the roaming monsters that seem to be hunting only her.

She heads into one of the buildings and calls out in a quiet but clear voice, “Is anyone there? I am Toriel. I am here to protect you.”

Perhaps it was because she was a Reyvateil, but the silence -- the static, the static upon the silence -- was maddening to Aurica. It nestled in her brain and got at her core. And every small noise -- well, she couldn’t help but fear the worst.

Hearing some footsteps, she takes in a breath -- backing into a dark corner of the building in an attempt to hide -- catching her feet on the rubble obscured by the shadows instead. Biting her lip to stop herself from crying out, the voice making it out as a whimper, she sits as still as she can where she fell -- processing the shadow in the doorway only as something friendly when such a gentle voice rings out.

She stops to catch her breath. She didn’t think anything was here, but she’d seen enough people running from things she couldn’t see to realise that everyone was seeing different things. From the wounds scattered about, and the inexplicable scaling of empty air -- as incredible as it was, she was inclined to believe whatever they were seeing was real. As real as what was happening to her, as she leans her head back against the cold wall.

Opening her eyes after a moment, Aurica watches the street, not moving from where she sits for now. There hadn’t been a quiet moment for a while, and she would take all the energy she could get. As she watches, though, she notices a man -- shuffling a little cautiously, with a lit candle in his hand, even in the broad daylight.

It was as if the world was ending. Aurica should know what that looked like -- from the destruction of her home, from the close calls Sol Ciel and the lower world had taken in recent times -- but it still doesn’t prepare her for the sights before her, the smoke that consumed all air she breathed, the crackling of flames wherever she looked. She had thought she were brought here as some form of punishment, but this... even this...

She closes her eyes, before crying out at a sudden noise from behind, quickly getting on the move again. More than the fire, there was something out there -- perhaps more than one, perhaps thousands. Something that was out to get her. Something she couldn’t escape.

She doesn’t want to look behind, afraid of what she might see -- she slips around a corner into a mountain of rubble, taking a deep breath before stumbling down it as fast as she can. A figure, though -- grey? purple? -- makes her stop, crouching behind a rock in the hopes the creature would miss her. I can’t do this... not like I am. Trembling, she watches from the distance -- before realising, while clearly not anything she would ever have registered as a person, whatever was down there wasn’t made of static.

tumblr is being weird and her call didn’t end up in the tags yesterday, so here we have take two for an event starter call! her event info can be found here!

soooo, let’s get down to business! aurica’s signal info:

seems to be from a fairly recent disaster. the structures are still burning, and to say it has her startled would be an understatement. she’s particularly vulnerable due to the trauma involving fire from her past, but otherwise nothing is familiar to her.

paths are obscured by debris and there isn’t much wildlife or natural destruction in her world at all. it seems to have fallen due to a manmade incident. occasionally gunfire is heard or a distant explosion, setting the flames rising again.

any flora in her world is dead, or dying. the air is thin as a result, not to mention with the smoke. she might have trouble breathing in perfectly ordinary situations.

she hasn’t unlocked any powers yet and is unarmed, so she’s fairly vulnerable and can need some protecting. she does have her basic healing ability unlocked, though, and can tend to the wounded to some extent, as long as the injury isn’t life-threatening.

  Joe offers a smile at Aurica’s willingness to help, but a tinge of worry colors it with her mild persistence. “ It’s all right, I promise! I’m sure it’ll leave nothing at all behind and even if it does, it’ll be small, ” he reassures, making sure he looks to her instead of allowing himself to be distracted by the dog with him. 

  “ There’s no harm in trying though, is there? ” he offers, carefully maneuvering his arms around the puppy. When she calms down enough, Joe hops to his feet with her cradled and gently holds her out to Aurica. “ I doubt she’ll be too mad about the cat smell; I pet a few on my way here too! ”

  It doesn’t seem like he’s willing to give up here, what with the supportive grin and the shining eyes. The puppy appears to be waiting for something to happen too, almost leaning towards Aurica as to catch a whiff of what’s right out of range.

He’s kind of fishy. Not in a way she didn’t trust him -- but in a way she could tell his primary intention behind his words was to reassure her, rather than tell the truth. He was probably right, even so -- that it was a minor injury, that she was worrying about nothing. She had seen worse. But those memories where she caused disaster, the end of those she loved, the fire, the --

She glances away. A little over-dramatic, wasn’t she? But at her core was her nature of hurting people, something she couldn’t remove from her mind. It remained no matter what, like a wet cloth weighing her down. Like the smoke rising, rising, rising.

Her eyes drift towards the dog, wishing it was a cat in that moment. These creatures -- they were so cheerful, tail wagging and paws pattering -- nothing like Aurica. Maybe she saw herself in cats, the way they kept to themselves, wouldn’t quite show their true feelings -- would hiss a little, but actually enjoy the company of those who understood what they needed. A puppy like this, well... it was more like this boy. And maybe a little like Lyner.

@execlinca

Reality was often far too cruel. Just when an individual were to think that things were far too gone and it was impossible for the situation to get any worse, it does. Misha Arsellec Lune could truthfully attest to this after waking up from a deep slumber. The soft, warm light of the nearby lamp. The velvet cushions. The chirping of cicadas and the feeling of utter bliss. Serenity. It was all gone in a blink of an eye. The moment her eyelids fluttered open, immediately she could feel her body aching, slumped against the cold cement floor. Her surroundings foreign to any town or district she had come across. It didn’t take long for her to realize that she was in a world completely different from her own. “Jack…? Krusche? Are you there…?!”

Her two companions were nowhere in sight. As similarly confused individuals walked on past, Misha stilled herself to remain calm. Panicking will only make it all the more difficult for her. It seemed at least, that she was in a peaceful abode. There were no monsters or bandits lurking about. Scanning the area, she failed to distinguish a familiar face from the crowd, but at least none of them looked particularly dangerous. Unsteadily she manages to get back up on her feet, but then she makes the fatal mistake of looking right at the hole just a meter away. 

Images of deathly apparitions seemed to spring forth, as if wanting to pull her down into the abyss. Misha’s face paled. She longed to look away, but found herself unable to. The ground seemed to be spinning. Her legs, shaking. As she buckled under the extreme discomfort, she resisted the urge to vomit. Practically gasping for air, she could feel herself beginning to trip over her own  feet –  she  needed to  take  a few  minutes  to catch her breath. “H-help someone…I-Ah-!!!” Panicked screams resound through the area as she backs up and nearly falls inside, only managing to hold onto the the edge.

As she caught sight of the eclipsed moon her grip tightens. Is this the last thing she sees before her inevitable fall?

There was something wrong with this world. She had known it the night she arrived, the fear that consumed her attempting to talk with that thing that would only repeat instructions back -- the blackness of the sky and the amount of people who had been taken. If she didn’t have such strong visions of the afterlife -- she had no delusions that she belonged in heaven, but this was hardly eternal hell by any measure -- she might have assumed death. As things were, though.

There was something in this eclipse. Some enchantment, some curse -- some punishment worse than death. A fate binding multiple beings from across the boundaries of space and time, converging at a black hole that consumed all.

She could do nothing against that but pray.

What is it you want of me? What is it that you’re trying to say?

When the eclipse stretches across the sky once more, she thinks to come to the centre, to see if she could feel anything within the abyss. If anything would speak to her. She was just a pitiful girl, but... but --

Her eyes snap open at a cry from the edge. What person was resisting those fearsome ghosts that piloted those vehicles -- whoever it was, they were much braver than her. Help...? Glancing around for the source of the voice, she begins to run closer to the edge, cupping her hands around her mouth. “What is it? Where are you...?!”

There...! Barely visible, someone was falling --

“You can’t! Don’t let go...!” Aurica reaches out a hand, grabbing onto the person’s wrist. She wasn’t about to look into the chasm, not here, not now -- whatever all her pretences about asking it to talk to her. In her heart, she was a coward, after all. If only she had better song magic -- reaching with her other hand as well to pull with all her strength, admittedly not much, admittedly pathetic -- then she would --

Gasping for breath, she hauls the person over the edge, eyes turned to the sky as she wheezes heavily. Still panting, she starts to pull them back, out of the way of danger. “W-what on earth were you doing... going so close to the edge like -- ”

No... no way.

     A broken wing. Reyson forced down the visceral pain he felt at seeing such distress – even without his powers, the empathy was instinct – as he scooped the much smaller bird into his delicate fingers, murmuring to her in Ancient Tongue in an attempt to soothe. If healing was outside the realm of his abilities at the moment, the least he could do was keep her calm as he tried to find help.

     Though, where to go… The amount of time he had now spent in this ‘modern, mostly-Beorc city’ had shown that help for the wounded was very likely available, but he had little idea where the help would be, exactly. Reyson figured he would head to one of the streets, and then ask from there. He didn’t get more than a dozen steps away before being stopped.

     When the girl arrived, and made her request, Reyson had expected some sort of healing ability. After all, she would not likely have tried to interfere if that wasn’t the case. What he didn’t expect was song, beautiful and gentle. He could feel the life magic flow through the bird at the fairy’s kiss, warm energy fizzling into his palms.

     And Reyson watched, still in wonder, as the little one straightened up, flapping her wings experimentally in his hands and giving a small, happy trill as she found the results satisfactory.

     “Thank you for saving her,” he said, relating her words to the girl who, despite her use of something like a healing Galdr, did not seem to resemble a Heron or some other Bird Laguz in any fashion. “That was… magic, was it not? Strong enough to heal a wound like this. How did you come to know of it?”

As she watches the bird begin to move its injured wing naturally again, Aurica exhales a sigh of relief -- ceasing her song with a small smile, putting one hand to her chest to steady her heart, beating faster than usual. The air here was different -- like singing while the Tower was down, a solo piece that usually had accompaniment. Perhaps she should see if she could find any Tranquility crystals to help in situations like these... though without having come across any Reyvateils yet, she doubts they would have any available anywhere.

“It’s no problem. I’m just glad it worked.” The bird was awfully cute as it chirped, making her smile grow a little larger. It felt good to do something good for once, and if it didn’t show on her face -- well, someone would be hard pressed to say that. “I’ve been feeling a bit weird since I got here, so... I wasn’t sure if it would.”

The man’s question makes her pause, though, the light in her face giving way to a creased forehead as she wonders how to explain it. “Magic, yes... um, we call it song magic. Though, I don’t know if I really understand what you mean.” It wasn’t as if she came to know it, so much as it was something innately inside her -- but explaining her nature still brought a tightness in her throat, as if her masquerading as ‘human’ would be over.

She bites her lip. She would like to trust him -- thinks that she might try it. The man almost looked like an angel, a messenger of the Trio of Elemia themselves. Nothing but a fantasy, something that had been an illusion before... in a world where she could trust no one, maybe her heart would let her wish for it, just one more time.

You’re just a simple kid, and all the technology and differences between your home and here can be extremely overwhelming. Oddly enough, you find yourself with more chances to rest and re-compose yourself here, despite all that. It helps that there’s a place that seems separated from the rest of the city, filled with trees bearing pink flowers. You hadn’t seen these types of flowers before arriving, but it’s more beautiful than any you’d seen.

You have a book with you: a story set in a place similar to your own, full of magic and beasts, heroes fighting for their kingdoms, and so forth. Churro is off doing his own thing, keeping to himself (for once).

[Perception check: 7 + 1 = 8]

You’re engrossed in your story when you hear a quiet voice call out. You jump, but not so much as you would have if it were anyone with a more demanding presence. You look up at the stranger.

❝Ah! Um…❞

You look around just to make sure that she was talking to you and not someone else. She has such courage, being able to just ask strangers things! You’re not too sure about this, but you feel like you should help.

❝Y-Yes, sure! I live in 244, so! Um… I know… I know how to get there…❞ Dear gods you sound like an idiot.  ❝Right! Um… I can show you? Ah, if you don’t mind, I mean! It can be confusing— not that you can’t figure it out I’m sure you’d be fine but maybe it’s easier to remember this way or… ahhh…❞

You bring the book up to cover your face. You fool. You utter buffoon.

Wow. Aurica is a little impressed. Somehow, perhaps she had stumbled upon someone with less social capabilities than she had -- though what a rude thought that was to have. The girl was clearly nervous, and if they were practically neighbours, well -- she’d have to make sure to hold back that over-creative mouth of hers.

“Um, no, only if it wouldn’t be a bother to you. You seemed kind of peaceful out here by yourself.” Her speech punctuated by ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’, how exactly was she any less awkward than this girl? We sound exactly the same. How embarrassing. Eyes flickering to one side, more self-conscious than before, she hugs her stomach. “W-well, I would appreciate it, if you really wanted to help. Sorry for interrupting you...”

The red light district was the one place he didn’t expect a plethora of cats to reside in, then again considering the kind of people who reside in it, it makes sense. Misery loves company, and he suppose those without families would be more prone to feeding animals in a place that separated actual human contact. As far as he knows.

Some of the cars don’ like him, most likely due to his scary face. Some even hiss and walk away.

“Its dangerous to go in alone, but so long as there is some guards doing their work…”

then again with the so called phantom thieves at work, the police force has been severely less.  A testament to how corrupt they are, and also how much corrupted was actually inside. it seems they need new members as well.

“In any case…have you named them?“

“Yeah, I guess so...” Still, she doesn’t seem to take his warning to heart. Sure, if anything scary happened, she would be afraid -- but she wasn’t sure she could avoid bad things, if someone like her could. She had been brought here as a punishment for all she had done, hadn’t she? Then the hands of destiny were already turning, bound against her already, no matter what she does.

Though, she really didn’t want anything to happen to her. Whatever curse she thought she held, it wasn’t as if she embraced it. It wasn’t as if... she would refuse anyone’s help, if they were to offer it.

She felt safer around this guy, anyway. “Hmm... ehehe. I have named a few. How did you know?” Petting the one closest to her, a fluffy black thing, she beams. “This little guy is Sootypaw. And over there...” She points over to a small tabby, likely a kitten, and its more protective parent. “Orange and Banana Peel. I’ve seen these a few times, so...”

@execlinca​

Of all the places he had been up to that point, he had to say that the Golden Ward was probably his favorite. “Favorite” being a very loose term, but still. If he was going to be trapped somewhere with no apparent way to escape, at least there was a university and other hints at modern sensibilities.

After having explored the campus for a while, wondering if he might be able to work there as a professor as he had back on earth so long ago, he decided to check out what else the district had to offer, which had brought him to the Mermaid Cove Mall.

Now this was not as normal a place for him, but he supposed he would need to buy himself some clothes and the like eventually… once he had the money to do so. In the meantime, it was just window shopping for him.

She had felt pretty low at times -- a jealous girl, a nosy one, more than a little bit selfish. Yet she’s never found herself following someone, and even knowing she has good enough reason for it, she feels horribly like a stalker. If someone caught her, her life would probably be over. I’m not really worth anything, but I’m not into weird old guys. What if someone assumed something like that...? I’d really be a laughing stock, more than I am already...

For an old man, this guy walked pretty fast -- or maybe it was the way her thoughts were running to ridiculous places. Either way, she soon finds she’s followed him all across Golden Ward, breathing a little heavy by the time he finally stops in front of a shop window. “Hey...! Excuse me...! I have something for you!”

Inaho gives her a reassuring nod and a wave. It wasn’t a problem. Although it was very simple arithmetic, Inaho was in no position to judge someone. Shaky voice, downcast eyes, elbows pinned against her body, stiff shoulders, and small steps. These were all the signs of someone who was tense and nervous due to uncertainty, and Inaho expects no one to function at their best, let alone their usual. Inaho empathized somewhat, and he was only pleased to help.

The crimson-faced girl gives her thanks. As Inaho listens to her closely, he notices something interesting. Closing his right eye, he focuses on her with his left. “Vocal analysis. Your enunciation is very distinct, and your voice shows capabilities of advanced pitch changes.” He leans in a little closer, blinking with his left eye.

“Are you a singer?”

“E... eh?” Of all the things she had been expecting him to say next, that observation -- if it could be called something that simple -- had not been one of them. What kind of person could notice something like that? She'd been talking completely normally, so what gave it away? Did her voice have funny inflections? Enunciation? Not to mention whatever weird thing he was doing with his eye, only one of them. She has no idea what he's talking about, only that he's exactly right.

“How did you know that? I guess it's kind of true, but...” Catching herself, she glances away, feeling horribly awkward. “I'm not sure I'd call myself that. I'm not exactly a very good one. There are tons of... people who are better than me.” Better not to mention Reyvateils if she didn't have to -- she hadn't seen any others, at least as far as she could tell, but it was better to be cautious before she could gauge people's attitudes in this place. Better to be safe.

  Aside from spending hours catching up on lost time with his best friend, Joe’s found himself enjoying the energy that seems to culminate in the Netwalk. The grass and gentle breeze are warm on his arms, though his hands are currently enveloped with affectionately petting the netpup in front of him. He’s found a favorite among them, ruffling its sides and wearing a wide grin as he plays with it.

  Unfortunately, the moment ends with a sharp hit to his side and a loud enough ‘OW!’ to startle the netpup into running several feet away. He puts his forehead to the dirt briefly, sucking in a breath and exhaling to see if it’ll diffuse the pain radiating from his ribs before finally lifting his head. 

  “ It’s fine, it’s fine, uh… ” Joe begins, trying to find his words as he pulls himself into a sitting position. While wracking his brain for a thoughtful answer, he idly pets the netpup that’s found itself in his lap. “ There’s nothin’ to apologize for, really! Make sure you watch where you’re going though so you don’t hurt yourself later. ”

  Is that rude? Too blunt? Joe mulls it for a second and then speaks before Aurica can (hopefully) assume the worst. “ You wanna pet this puppy? She’s super sweet! ”

Uh oh, the aftermath of that was worse than Aurica had expected. It takes him a little too long to recover, and Aurica can recognise a person's pain response well enough, especially after having to deal with Lyner's reckless behaviour more than once. “Is it really fine...? I'm really sorry. Where does it hurt...? If it's too much, I think I can help.” She pauses, biting her lip. “Sorry. I'm talking so much, when your head probably hurts...”

She nods, though, at his reprimand -- better not to get lost in her thoughts so much, lest she walk into trouble... or innocent people. “I will... thanks.”