so lost in the starless night

“I’d like to think so.” He said, looking at the other. “I am a part of an idol group back at home.” He explained. “My brother and 5 other guys are a part of it.” He looked ahead. 

Noire is conflicted.  She feels bad that she kind of tricked this person into letting her have the kitten… ‘But on the other hand…  Kitten Soft.’

She frowns, slightly, and bends over to pick the little cat up.  She pauses her action as her brain processes the demand.  “V-visit… ?” She scoops the kitten in her arms, despite its protests, and carries it on her shoulder.  While petting it, she mulls the propositions over.  ‘I mean, I’ll feel a lot less guilty…  But it also feels a lot like losing to just let them demand whatever they want…’  Noire breathes deeply, preparing herself mentally to launch a counter attack.

“Alright,” she starts, “you can come visit her!  But you have to bring her treats when you come, and send me a text thirty minutes before you show up.”  She brings up her phone with one hand, while humorously trying to keep the cat under control with her other, and manages to get it onto her contacts app.  “Just enter your number here, and I’ll text you my house number,” she says, while handing them her phone.

Souji smiles, doesn’t fully process the fact they made a friend but are more excited over the fact they’ve gained a cat. Well, half a cat? Shared custody of a cat? That’s not important, they still get to see the cat.

“Sure,” They agree to the other’s demands, sure that they’ll have a plethora of cat treats at any time of day to do so anyway, and they don’t tend to be the forgetful type of things like that. They chuckle lightly at the other’s failed attempts to hold the cat in her arms, and give her phone to Souji at the same time, “Just enter your number here, and I’ll text you my house number,” which Souji does.

@foolarcanas

❝ Hey! Didja drop this thing? ❞ Nevermind that she’s followed the other for quite a bit of time before calling out. Call it… investigation. It’s an occupational disease.

Souji has a feeling they’re being followed, but, doesn’t quite care until they’re called out to.

“Hey! Didja drop this thing?” Souji spins around, has to look down to see what the other means- oh, their phone dropped out of their pocket. Oops. That could have been a disaster... No cat photos until it was retrieved...

@foolarcanas

Something about this boy was off.

Not off in a dangerous way, or off in a bad way, but there was most certainly something about the silver haired boy that intrigued Minato. It was as if fate had caused them to cross paths once again. This was of course impossible, as Minato had never seen this tall child before and only knew so many people with his hair color. But still, there was something.

Before Minato could consider his actions his feet were already moving. He was not at all prepared, but within seconds he was staring slightly up at the silver haired child who he had been staring at not long before. The Wild Card cleared his throat and removed his headphones.

“Why do I feel like I know you?”

Souji doesn’t notice they’re being watched, but does a doubletake almost every time they look in that direction. As if that person is familiar or they know him, which they are almost certain they do not. While it’s not like they didn’t know the entire town before... the incident, this boy doesn’t even look like he came from Inaba.

It’s not like they’ve met him previously in the city or on this island, either, they’re sure about that... And they can’t think of any movie star or anything that looks like him.

“Why do I feel like I know you?” It comes out at the same time, from them both, and Souji’s face turns a light pink from that.

Definitely not ready for how... different the city has started to look, Souji finds themselves just as lost as they were when they arrived. They’re polite as always, encountering a girl who looked to be about their age, but they don’t expect what they say to be considered rude instead.

“… This is a phone?”

There’d been talks of such a development whenever Bolin happened to be treading past Varrick’s and Asami’s conversations, but he hadn’t imagined it would be something so fancy. He looks from his to theirs.

“Of—of course I know how to use this… this phone!” Bolin sputters, fumbling with the device until he’s holding it about a foot away, upside down in his grip. “… HELLO… PHONE… OBJECT. Uh… WHERE-IS-MAKO?”

He lifts his eyebrows at the stranger and grins so hard that it looks like a grimace.  “Total pro, huh?”

Souji tilts their head, forces themselves not to laugh at him. He’s probably from a world or time where phones aren’t exactly the biggest thing, he understands.

“The experiment was around for a few years. Apparently that’s not even the first time it was active. There was a Hive City before that which I wasn’t a part of. Maker knows what happened back then. I did try to learn about it, but the books only gave so much information.”

Daylen had arrived a few months into the cities’ second run. So while he’d missed the beginning of everything, he was ‘lucky’ enough to experience near everything else. No matter how traumatic or ludicrous the situation.

“Someone I know losing their memories isn’t anything new. It happened in Hive as well. A friend of yours would disappear, taken away from the city. One day they would return but it… well, it wasn’t the same person. At least it felt that way because they didn’t know you any more. Any memories they had of Hive City had completely vanished. 

I’m not sure what the reason was for doing such things. Even how is a good question. Perhaps it was some special technology, blood magic or a different method altogether. But I can only assume whoever is responsible for this has that same method.” 

It’s frustrating how he has to grasp at straws. All those years passed yet he feels no solid answers. Some closure at the end would’ve been nice. It wouldn’t have made up for everyone’s suffering, but he would at least understand. Knowing why a few scientists thought this was all necessary.

“I don’t know if the same people are responsible. There are a few key differences that make me doubt such a thing. One example is the lack of presence compared to Hive City. 

Upon arriving there, you had a video introducing you to the experiment. Being held captive was practically rubbed in your face. Here there hasn’t been an announcement of who is responsible. No attempt to conjure up an intimidating image, or even to taunt us. Everything is simply blank and that’s worrying.

There really isn’t enough evidence to prove any of my assumptions.”

They notice the other’s use of the word “maker,” thinks to ask, but decides it’s not the best time for getting to know others like that. They think about everything they’re told-wish they could have learned more about both places, maybe figure out why they’re all there in the process.

They also wonder if they’ve been in the previous place before- and would it ever be possible to know if so without questioning people?

“The base was nice, all things considered! Even though I was staying with lots of mercenaries and former prisoners, they did everything they could to make my life better. They shared stories with me, gave me gifts, played games… they even gave me a kitten!”

When they were not on clandestine missions to murder others, getting killed themselves, or suffering from PTSD, anyway.

“But before the base, I lived in Costa Rica! It was so nice… I do not know if you have been, but the nature is beautiful. I went to school there, and my professor helped with my tuition.” 

“But, then he was… um, imprisoned… so I could no longer stay at school. That is why I moved to the base.”

“A kitten?” It’s the first thing they notice, second being “imprisoned,” but they figure the polite thing to do is to not ask. They’re not exactly looking for, say, life stories or anything- they’ve gotten enough back at home.

Eiji chuckled nervously and put his hand behind his head as he spoke. “I… I sing to calm myself down and…. I got lost in the singing. It happens a lot… I really need to stop doing that while walking.”

“Oh, no, not the city. I have heard about it from others, but I lived on an oil rig in the Carribbean sea before coming here! I am glad that, if I have to be whisked away somewhere, it is another island. This is my favorite climate, after all.”

She approaches the teen, keeping her smile on. Hopefully, she still had her old charm. So long as none of her wounds were visible, it shouldn’t be too difficult to avoid suspicion.

“I must admit, I have never met a "Souji” before, either! Are you maybe Japanese? I did know one person from Japan… he was so silly. Sometimes he would sing me songs in Japanese.“

And try to do gross shit with suppositories. If this guy tries to shove anything up his ass, I’ll scream.

Not from the city? They think that’s the first time they’ve gotten that reply so far, actually, and it surprises them. “An oil rig? I was only in the city for a little while, so I wouldn’t be able to tell you much about it myself.”

Paz walks a bit closer to them, smile still on her face. “I must admit, I have never met a “Souji” before, either! Are you maybe Japanese?” She finishes that off with a small story about someone she used to know, and Souji nods as they listen.

“Do you mean Hive City? I lived there for a number of years. Well, perhaps lived is a strong word. I was simply kept there like everyone else. So I didn’t truly believe that the experiment was really ending. There’s definitely egg on my face now. But instead of everyone returning home, many of us have simply been whisked away to an island. Whether it’ll be as dangerous remains to be seen.”

The broken buildings don’t exactly inspire confidence. One wouldn’t simply create an environment like this on purpose, right? Not if the ghostly residents were doing their best to repair everything.

“It appears that not everyone’s memories have carried over. That has made approaching those I knew uncomfortable.”

“Years? I would’ve thought it was only around a few months...” They wonder if there’s a reason why some arrived earlier than others, and then he continues to add another important detail. “People have lost their memories?”

This is news to them, although it’s not something that would exactly affect them entirely. They didn’t talk to many before their leave, so, they can’t exactly relate to him entirely, but they can imagine how much that’d hurt to being able to see someone who you knew for years but they don’t remember anything about you...

“whoa shit–!”

ryuji definitely did not expect to be roped into a team so quickly (and forcefully)! is he seriously not allowed to have a say in… oh, it’s that weird ass dark mage dude he met aaaand… the person who ate one of his chicken wings that one time! nevermind then, ryuji shrugs off his previous thought. it’s all good.

“attempted murder? i dunno what the hell you’re talkin’ about but that name totally blows. ya want people to think we’re serial killers or somethin’?” he rubs his chin with his free hand. there’s gotta be something he can come up with that’s better than that… “oh, i know! we should call ourselves ‘total drama island’! y’know, like the show?”

Souji stumbles a bit, almost takes the other two to the ground with them, startled from being grabbed so suddenly.  Once they regain their balance, after listening to them debate the name and having a hand shook in their face, they realize they know the two.

One fed them-chicken wings are great when you’re starving-and the other they just happened to stumble into on a beach, various birds (mostly crows) along with him, and they think over the name ideas offered.

Both make them laugh, but Total Drama Island they think is a more understood reference... And they’re certainly not that good at naming things on their own.

@foolarcanas

       Despite the sudden notice of their arrival, nothing about the city’s structure seemed to actually be finished. If anything, the nature of the ruins spread throughout made him question the very history of this city. He highly doubted that it was anything relating to the one from before, which only raised more questions… 

       Evidently, he wasn’t the only one with questions. Just ahead, he’d notice someone rather curiously investigating some of the city’s ruins. They looked young–a high-schooler, maybe? 

       Best to announce his presence, so he doesn’t end up scaring them. 

“Nice to see the people in charge here also don’t discriminate by age.” A laid-back, two-finger salute. The sarcasm in his tone would hopefully make it clear he didn’t like seeing the high-schooler in this predicament. “Searching around for an exit or something?”

During another exploration through the island, they still can’t find anything out about the place. Nothing seems to completely match anything they’ve learned about previously, outside of some of the ruins being mostly generic in how they seemed to have been built, and so it doesn’t help them find out where they might be at all.

Their attention is grabbed by a young man, making a sarcastic comment about their placement.

A ghost of a smile crossed the kelpie’s face, and he pulled out the extra order he’d received, handing it over to the stranger. He liked them, already. After a short silence, he cleared his throat. Time to try and make a friend.

“No problem. My name’s Eli, by the way. You can call my any pronouns, I don’t really mind.”

"Oh?" They tilt their head. They've actually never met someone like them- at least, no one has told them, and it makes them happy. "I'm Souji Seta. Any works for me, as well."

@foolarcanas liked for a starter! [x]

They have one. They definitely have one too.

Bolin creeps by and peers over their shoulder, green eyes sparkling at the view of a device similar to his in their grip– and how flawlessly they orchestrate it!

… But Bolin’s vision isn’t sharp enough to deduct everything they are doing to use the device. “HOW–”

Souji jumps, a foot in the air almost, not expecting anyone to be behind them and certainly not that loud. Once they calm down and turn around, however, they watch someone behind them gesture towards the object in their hands in confusion.

Noire’s embarrassment shoots up as the stranger stares at her.  ‘Ack, this must be their cat!  I must look so sill-’  The other cuts her thoughts off with their answer.  She immediately breaths a sigh of relief at the “No”; however, she is still disappointed by the knowledge that this person has been taking care of the cat.

‘Aw jeeze,’ she thinks, ‘Now this is going to be a whole thing if I decide take care of the cat…’

“Um, n-” she cuts herself off.  ‘I…  I could lie, and say its mine.’  Her cheeks heat into a red color; she’s embarrassed she’s even thinking of lying for such a petty reason, but…

“Y-yeah?”  Unsure, shakey words tumble out of her mouth.  She immediately backs down, but tries to leave the impression that she wants the cat, at least.  “I mean, uh, k-kind of?  I’ve been feeding it and uh, stuff…”

She swings her foot onto the porch awkwardly.  “Uh, there just hasn’t been enough time for me to get a collar, y-ya know?”

The girl seems anxious, speaks pretty fast but still sounds unsure at the same time, but Souji gets what she says-it’s her cat, or at least will be soon.

Souji doesn’t respond for a moment, stays silent, and then says a small “Oh.” They think on this for another moment. Maybe they could have shared custody? She can go to their house for one week, and then her house for the other... Or even just weekends for them, they don’t mind. “You can have her.”